BMI Calculator

Calculate your Body Mass Index and see where you fall using Asian BMI cutoffs recommended for Indians.

Your Details

cm
ft
in
kg

Your Results

Your BMI
0.0
Category
Normal
0 - 0 kg
Healthy Weight Range (for your height)
0 kg
Distance to Healthy Range

BMI Scale

BMR Calculator Calorie Calculator Ideal Height & Weight

How BMI is Calculated

Body Mass Index (BMI) is a simple screening measure that relates your weight to your height.

BMI = Weight (kg) ÷ [Height (m)]²

Why does this calculator use Asian cutoffs, not WHO's general ones?

Research shows Indians and other South Asians tend to develop diabetes, hypertension and heart disease at lower BMI levels than Western populations — largely due to a higher proportion of body fat, including visceral fat, at the same BMI. So the categories below sit lower than the WHO's general-population cutoffs (Normal up to 24.9), which are still used globally and by some Indian clinicians.

BMI categories (Asian cutoffs)

BMICategory
Below 18.5Underweight
18.5 – 22.9Normal
23 – 24.9Overweight
25 and aboveObese

How to calculate your BMI, step by step

  1. Choose whether to enter your Height in centimetres or feet/inches.
  2. Enter your Height and Weight in kilograms.
  3. Click Calculate BMI to see your BMI value and category (Underweight, Normal, Overweight or Obese).
  4. Review the Healthy Weight Range for your height, and how far your current weight is from that range.

Why BMI can be misleading

BMI only uses weight and height — it can't tell muscle mass from fat mass. A muscular or athletic person can weigh more for their height and show a higher BMI, even with low body fat, simply because muscle is denser than fat. It also ignores fat distribution, age and bone density. For a fuller picture, pair this with our Body Fat Calculator.

Disclaimer: This tool provides an estimate for general awareness only and is not medical advice. Please consult a doctor or registered dietitian for personalised health guidance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Using the Asian BMI cutoffs this calculator applies, a healthy (Normal) range is 18.5 to 22.9. Below 18.5 is Underweight, 23 to 24.9 is Overweight, and 25 and above is Obese — these thresholds are lower than the WHO's general-population cutoffs, reflecting that Indians tend to develop diabetes and heart disease at lower BMI levels.

Research shows Indians and other South Asians tend to develop diabetes, hypertension and heart disease at lower BMI levels than Western populations, largely due to a higher proportion of body fat and visceral fat at the same BMI. Asian-specific cutoffs (Normal up to 22.9, Overweight from 23) reflect that earlier health risk, while the WHO's general cutoffs (Normal up to 24.9) are still used globally and by some Indian clinicians.

BMI only uses weight and height — it can't distinguish muscle mass from fat mass. Since muscle is denser than fat, a muscular or athletic person can weigh more for their height and show a higher BMI, even with low body fat. In that case, BMI would flag them as "overweight" despite being metabolically healthy, which is why BMI is a screening tool, not a diagnosis.

BMI is a simple ratio of weight to height, used as a quick population-level screening measure. Body fat percentage directly estimates how much of your body mass is fat versus lean tissue, which is more accurate for individuals but requires more inputs (like waist and neck measurements) to estimate. Use the Body Fat Calculator alongside this one for a fuller picture.

It's the range of weights that would put you within the Normal BMI category (18.5 to 22.9) at your entered height — calculated by solving the BMI formula for weight at both ends of that range. "Distance to Healthy Range" then shows how much weight you'd need to gain or lose to fall inside it.

A BMI of 23 crosses into the "Overweight" category under Asian cutoffs, which is associated with statistically higher average risk of conditions like diabetes and hypertension across large populations — but BMI alone doesn't measure your individual risk, since it ignores muscle mass, fat distribution, age, and other health markers. Treat the category as a prompt to look closer, not a diagnosis.

It doesn't account for muscle mass, fat distribution (visceral vs. subcutaneous fat), age, bone density, or sex-specific differences in body composition. This tool provides an estimate for general awareness only and is not medical advice — consult a doctor or registered dietitian for personalised health guidance.
Written and reviewed by Last updated