Adult BMI Calculator for Men and Women
Calculate adult body mass index for men and women with the same kg/m² formula from kilograms and centimeters or pounds and feet/inches.
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About
This adult BMI calculator uses one formula for men and women: body weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared. Choosing a sex does not change the arithmetic, so sex is not an input. The US entry path converts pounds and inches with the equivalent 703 × lb / in² form and then classifies the same one-decimal BMI. [1, 3, 4]
The result is an adult body-mass index and the matching WHO adult category. It is not body-fat percent, a diagnosis, a treatment plan, or a pediatric growth assessment. Pregnancy, edema, high muscle mass, and older age can change how a category should be read. Some populations use extra public-health action points; this page reports the international adult cutoffs only. [2, 3]
Interpretation
Enter kilograms with centimeters, or pounds with feet and inches. Both paths use the adult formula above. Children and teens are outside this page.
| Category | BMI (kg/m²) |
|---|---|
| Underweight | Below 18.5 |
| Healthy weight | 18.5–24.9 |
| Overweight | 25.0–29.9 |
| Obesity, class 1 | 30.0–34.9 |
| Obesity, class 2 | 35.0–39.9 |
| Obesity, class 3 (severe obesity) | 40.0 or above |
A displayed value of 24.9 is healthy weight. A displayed value of 25.0 is overweight. The category follows that one-decimal display, not an unrounded third digit.
When to use this BMI calculator
Use it for an adult standing height and body weight when the question is body mass index for a man or a woman. Use the anthropometry workspace when body surface area or another named size model is needed from a shared record. Use the ideal body weight calculator for Devine, Robinson, Miller, Hamwi, and adjusted body weight.
Pearls and pitfalls
- Men and women share this formula. A different category for the same BMI is not calculated here.
- BMI is not percent body fat. Athletes and people with high muscle mass can have a high BMI without a high fat mass.
- The supported ranges are adult input limits, not a healthy weight interval.
Evidence
The Quetelet index, weight divided by height squared, is the adult index WHO and CDC use for these categories. WHO Technical Report Series 894 states the adult cutoffs used in the table. [1, 2, 4]
References
- World Health Organization. Obesity: preventing and managing the global epidemic. Report of a WHO consultation. WHO Technical Report Series 894. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2000.
- World Health Organization. Obesity and overweight. Fact sheet. The adult classification uses the same body-mass-index cutoffs for men and women.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About adult BMI. Adult body mass index uses height and weight; the categories match the WHO adult cutoffs.
- Keys A, Fidanza F, Karvonen MJ, Kimura N, Taylor HL. Indices of relative weight and obesity. J Chronic Dis. 1972;25(6):329–343. doi:10.1016/0021-9681(72)90027-6.
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Calculate adult body surface area (BSA) with an explicitly selected Mosteller, Du Bois, or Haycock formula and BMI from height and weight; add optional measurements for other named anthropometry models.
IBW & AjBW40
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Disclaimer
Educational and informational reference only. Not intended to replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, or independent verification.