Body Mass Index (BMI) is a simple measure that uses your height and weight to estimate whether you are underweight, normal weight, overweight or obese. Enter your details below to see your BMI on a visual gauge along with your healthy weight range.
Example: Weight 70 kg, height 170 cm → BMI = 24.2, which falls in the Normal range (18.5 – 24.9).
BMI क्या होता है, सही वज़न कितना हो और कैसे सुधारें — पूरी जानकारी पढ़ें:
BMI is a screening tool, not a diagnosis. Standard WHO categories were derived largely from European populations, and the WHO has published separate Asia-Pacific cut-offs because health risks appear at lower BMI levels in South Asian populations.
| Category | WHO global | WHO Asia-Pacific |
|---|---|---|
| Underweight | Below 18.5 | Below 18.5 |
| Healthy range | 18.5 – 24.9 | 18.5 – 22.9 |
| Overweight range | 25 – 29.9 | 23 – 24.9 |
| Obese range | 30 and above | 25 and above |
This calculator uses the Asia-Pacific cut-offs, which are generally considered more appropriate for people of South Asian descent.
Someone 168 cm tall weighing 70 kg:
| Step | Working |
|---|---|
| Height in metres | 1.68 m |
| Height squared | 2.8224 |
| BMI | 70 ÷ 2.8224 = 24.8 |
| Healthy weight range (Asia-Pacific) | 52.2 kg – 64.6 kg |
A BMI of 24.8 sits in the healthy band by global cut-offs but in the overweight band by Asia-Pacific cut-offs. This is exactly the grey zone where the choice of reference matters — and where a conversation with a doctor is more useful than a number.
BMI uses only height and weight. It has no way of knowing what that weight is made of, or where it sits on your body. Specifically it can be misleading for:
Where fat sits matters as much as how much there is. Fat around the abdomen is more strongly associated with metabolic risk than fat elsewhere. Commonly cited thresholds for South Asian adults are around 90 cm for men and 80 cm for women.
Measuring your waist takes thirty seconds and adds real information that BMI alone misses. Our body fat calculator goes a step further using the tape method.
If your BMI sits outside the healthy range and you want to do something about it, gradual and sustainable beats fast and drastic. Modest changes held for a long time consistently outperform aggressive approaches that get abandoned.
A doctor or registered dietitian can interpret your number alongside your full health picture — family history, existing conditions, medication, activity levels — which no calculator can do.
Official sources: World Health Organization
If thinking about weight, food or body shape has started to feel distressing or preoccupying, that is worth talking to someone about. It is far more common than most people realise, and support genuinely helps. A GP is a good first step.
