About the BMI Calculator
What is the BMI Calculator?
Body mass index (BMI) compares your weight with your height to screen for underweight, overweight and obesity. This BMI calculator uses the lower Asian Indian cut-offs by default, since Indians face higher health risks at the same BMI, and lets you switch to the WHO international scale.
Enter your weight and height to see your BMI, your category, the healthy weight range for your height and how far you are from it.
How to use the BMI Calculator
- Weight (kg) (sample: 68)
- Height (cm) (sample: 172)
- Cut-offs (sample: Asian Indian (overweight 23, obese 25))
- Press Calculate BMI (results also refresh as you type). The result card shows the Your BMI, along with Category, Healthy weight for your height, To reach the healthy range and BMI Prime (BMI ÷ overweight cut-off).
Formula used
BMI = Weight (kg) ÷ Height (m)²
- Healthy weight range = 18.5 × height² up to the overweight cut-off × height²
- BMI Prime = BMI ÷ overweight cut-off; above 1 means overweight
BMI does not distinguish muscle from fat; muscular people can show a high BMI while being lean.
Worked example
These are the sample values already filled in the calculator above, and the result it returns for them:
| Input | Sample value |
|---|---|
| Weight (kg) | 68 |
| Height (cm) | 172 |
| Cut-offs | Asian Indian (overweight 23, obese 25) |
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Your BMI | 23 |
| Category | Normal |
| Healthy weight for your height | 54.7 – 68 kg |
| To reach the healthy range | You are in the healthy range |
| BMI Prime (BMI ÷ overweight cut-off) | 1 |
BMI categories
| Category | Asian Indian cut-offs | WHO international |
|---|---|---|
| Underweight | Below 18.5 | Below 18.5 |
| Normal | 18.5–22.9 | 18.5–24.9 |
| Overweight | 23–24.9 | 25–29.9 |
| Obese | 25 and above | 30 and above |
Indian consensus guidelines use lower cut-offs because South Asians develop diabetes and heart disease at lower BMIs.
Tips for using the BMI Calculator
- Measure your waist too: abdominal fat carries more risk than BMI alone shows.
- For children and teenagers, use BMI-for-age percentiles instead of adult cut-offs.