How To Determine Your Body Mass Index (BMI)
Is Your Weight Affecting Your Health?

Your Body Mass Index (BMI) is a tool that can help adults determine whether you are at risk for a weight-related illness by correlating the ratio between your height and weight with body fat.  The body mass index (BMI) is an index number (a ratio of weight/height) that has been used in nutrition research to determine which height/weight relationship are safer, and which numbers correspond to greater risk.

BMI is used as a screening tool to identify possible weight problems for adults. However, BMI is not a diagnostic tool. For example, a person may have a high BMI. However, to determine if excess weight is a health risk, a healthcare provider would need to perform further assessments. These assessments might include skin-fold thickness measurements, evaluations of diet, physical activity, family history, and other appropriate health screenings.

Being overweight puts strain on your heart and can lead to serious health problems. These problems include Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, varicose veins, and other chronic conditions. More than 300,000 lives could be saved in the United States each year if everyone maintained a healthy weight!

Note: The BMI ranges used in this calculator derive from the BMI guidelines of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), in cooperation with the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), of the National Institutes of Health, as published in Clinical Guidelines on the Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults, 1998.
 


How To Determine Your Body Mass Index (BMI)

Find your height in inches across the top of the chart and then locate your weight down the left side column. Where the weight and height boxes come together, that is your BMI.

5 ft. = 60 inches                                                6 ft. = 72 inches
Weight in Pounds

Height in Inches
  56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76
100 22 22 21 20 20 19 18 18 17 17 16 16 15 15 14 14 14 13 13 13 12
105 24 23 22 21 21 20 19 19 18 18 17 16 16 16 15 15 14 14 14 13 13
110 25 24 23 22 22 21 20 20 19 18 18 17 17 16 16 15 15 15 14 14 13
115 26 25 24 23 23 22 21 20 20 19 19 18 18 17 17 16 16 15 15 14 14
120 27 26 25 24 23 23 22 21 21 20 19 19 18 18 17 17 16 16 15 15 15
125 28 27 26 25 24 24 23 22 22 21 20 20 19 18 18 17 17 17 16 16 15
130 29 28 27 26 25 25 24 23 22 22 21 20 20 19 19 18 18 17 17 16 16
135 30 29 28 27 26 26 25 24 23 23 22 21 21 20 19 19 18 18 17 17 16
140 31 30 29 28 27 27 26 25 24 23 23 22 21 21 20 20 19 19 18 18 17
145 33 31 30 29 28 27 27 26 25 24 23 23 22 21 21 20 20 19 19 18 18
150 34 33 31 30 29 28 27 27 26 25 24 24 23 22 22 21 20 20 19 19 18
155 35 34 32 31 30 29 28 28 27 26 25 24 24 23 22 22 21 20 20 19 19
160 36 35 34 32 31 30 29 28 28 27 26 25 24 24 23 22 22 21 21 20 20
165 37 36 35 33 32 31 30 29 28 28 27 26 25 24 24 23 22 22 21 21 20
170 38 37 36 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 27 26 25 24 24 23 22 22 21 21
175 39 38 37 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 27 26 25 24 24 23 23 22 21
180 40 39 38 36 35 34 33 31 31 30 29 28 27 27 26 25 24 24 23 23 22
185 42 40 39 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 27 26 25 24 24 23 23
190 43 41 40 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 27 26 26 24 24 23
195 44 42 41 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 27 26 25 24 24
200 45 43 42 40 39 38 37 36 34 33 32 31 30 30 29 28 27 26 26 25 24
205 46 44 43 41 40 39 38 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 29 28 27 26 26 25
210 47 46 44 43 41 40 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 29 28 27 26 26
215 48 47 45 44 42 41 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 28 27 26
220 49 48 46 45 43 42 40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 28 27
225 51 49 47 46 44 43 41 40 39 38 36 35 34 33 32 31 31 30 29 278 27
230 52 50 48 47 45 44 42 41 40 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 30 29 28
235 53 51 49 48 46 44 43 42 40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 29
240 54 52 50 49 47 45 44 43 41 40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 29
245 55 53 51 50 48 46 45 43 42 41 40 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 32 31 30
250 56 54 52 51 49 47 46 44 43 42 40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30
255 57 55 53 52 50 48 47 45 44 43 41 40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32 31
260 58 56 54 53 51 49 48 46 45 43 42 41 40 38 37 36 35 34 33 33 32
265 60 57 56 54 52 50 49 47 46 44 43 42 40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33 32
270 61 59 57 55 53 51 49 48 46 45 44 42 41 40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33
275 62 60 58 56 54 52 50 49 47 46 44 43 42 41 40 38 37 36 35 34 34
280 63 61 59 57 55 53 51 50 48 47 45 44 42 41 40 9 38 37 36 35 34
 
Health Risk Classification According to Body Mass Index (BMI)

Note: For persons 65 years and older the 'normal' range may begin slightly above BMI 18.5 and extend into the 'overweight' range.
 

Classification

BMI Category

Risk of developing health problems

Underweight

< 18.5

Increased

Normal Weight

18.5 - 24.9

Least

Overweight

25.0 - 29.9

Increased

Obese

30.0 - 34.9

High

Obese

35.0 - 39.9

Very high

Morbidly obese

>= 40.0

Extremely high

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