Check your BMI instantly with our free online calculator. Enter your height and weight to know if you’re healthy, overweight, or underweight. Fast, accurate, and easy to use!
Body Mass Index (BMI) is a commonly used tool to estimate whether a person’s weight is appropriate for their height. Unlike weight alone, BMI gives a clearer picture of body composition. For instance, a taller individual might weigh more than someone shorter, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they are less healthy. BMI helps bridge this gap by relating weight to height to assess overall health.
By calculating your BMI, you can better understand whether you’re underweight, within a healthy range, overweight, or at risk of obesity-related conditions. While it doesn’t directly measure body fat, BMI is widely accepted by medical professionals as a useful guideline for assessing potential health risks.
Additionally, BMI can influence medical decisions, such as determining suitable medication dosages. Knowing your BMI is a simple yet powerful way to stay informed about your health and take steps toward a balanced lifestyle.
A BMI calculator offers a fast and easy way to check if your weight is in a healthy range for your height. Here are a few key reasons to use it:
Track Your Health Status:
Using a BMI calculator is a simple yet effective way to monitor your overall health. It allows you to stay informed about where your body stands in terms of weight balance, helping you recognize potential health concerns such as underweight, overweight, or obesity. By identifying these early, you can take proactive steps like adjusting your diet, increasing physical activity, or seeking professional advice. Regular BMI checks act as a personal health alert system—keeping you one step ahead in maintaining a balanced and healthy life.
Take Control of Your Weight:
Weight management isn’t just about losing or gaining weight—it’s about finding and maintaining the weight that’s healthiest for your body type. A BMI calculator offers a starting point to define what that ideal range looks like for you. Once you know your BMI, you can set practical weight targets and work toward them through a mix of balanced eating, physical activity, and lifestyle adjustments. With regular use, the calculator becomes a guide that helps you stay consistent, avoid unhealthy extremes, and build habits that last.
Health Evaluate:
Knowing your BMI gives you a quick snapshot of your overall health. By analyzing your height and weight, the calculator can highlight potential health risks and areas for improvement—helping you stay active, balanced, and well.
Achieve Your Fitness Goal:
If you’re working toward specific fitness targets—whether it’s weight loss, muscle gain, or overall conditioning—your BMI can serve as a reliable checkpoint. This helps you assess whether your current progress is consistent with your goals. Instead of relying on weight alone, which can fluctuate due to muscle gain or water retention, BMI gives a clearer indication of body composition trends over time. By monitoring your BMI alongside other metrics like exercise routines and diet, you can stay motivated and on track toward long-term fitness success.
Body Mass Index (BMI) is a quick method to estimate whether your weight is within a healthy range based on your height. For adults aged 20 and above, the same formula and categories apply to both men and women.
| BMI | Category |
|---|---|
| Below 18.5 | Underweight |
| 18.5 – 24.9 | Normal weight |
| 25 – 29.9 | Overweight |
| 30 – 35 | Obese |
| Over 35 | Morbid obesity |
For children and adolescents between the ages of 2 and 20, Body Mass Index (BMI) is assessed differently than in adults. Instead of fixed ranges, BMI is compared to standardized percentiles based on age and gender. These categories, recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
| Category | BMI Percentile Range |
|---|---|
| Underweight | Less than 5th percentile |
| Healthy Weight | 5th – 85th percentile |
| At Risk of Overweight | 85th – 95th percentile |
| Overweight | Greater than 95th percentile |
🧮 BMI Formula Explained:
BMI can be calculated using either the International System of Units (metric) or the US customary system. Below are the formulas along with an example of a person who is 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs 160 pounds (72.57 kg).
What are the health risks related to being overweight?
Being overweight increases the chance of developing several serious health problems. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), common risks include:
Maintaining a BMI under 25 kg/m² is generally recommended. However, always consult your healthcare provider to assess your personal health needs and lifestyle.
What are the risks of being underweight?
Being underweight also carries health risks, including:
Sometimes being underweight may signal an underlying condition, like anorexia nervosa. If you or someone you know is underweight without a clear reason, seeking medical advice is important.
Limitation of BMI:
While BMI is a popular tool to estimate healthy body weight, it has some important limitations:
Despite these limitations, BMI provides a useful estimate of body fat for about 90–95% of the population. It should ideally be used together with other health measures to evaluate overall health and guide lifestyle decisions.
