BMI Calculator

What your BMI score actually means.

Body Mass Index is calculated as weight (kg) divided by height (m) squared. The result places you in one of four categories: Underweight (below 18.5), Normal weight (18.5–24.9), Overweight (25–29.9), or Obese (30 and above). These thresholds come from large population studies and reflect average risk trends — they're a useful starting point, not a verdict.

The most important limitation of BMI is that it cannot distinguish muscle from fat. A professional athlete at 90 kg and 1.80 m has a BMI of 27.8 — technically "overweight" — while carrying very little body fat. Conversely, someone at a "normal" BMI can carry significant hidden visceral fat. BMI is most reliable as a tracking tool for your own weight over time, less reliable as a one-time snapshot.

Ethnicity also matters: South Asian populations face elevated cardiovascular risk at BMI values that would be classified as "normal" for European populations. Many clinicians apply adjusted thresholds when interpreting results for patients from South Asian, East Asian, and Middle Eastern backgrounds.