Calculate your Body Mass Index (BMI)
How high or low is your BMI? With our BMI calculator you can quickly and easily check your BMI value. Simply enter your values in the BMI calculator and calculate your
Body Mass Index.
What is BMI and what does it indicate?
Your BMI tells you your body weight in proportion to your height. It is a classification introduced by the World Health Organization (WHO) to assess a person’s body weight. Whether your BMI is underweight or overweight must be assessed on an individual basis. It cannot be simply read from the BMI chart, as many different factors, such as age and diet, must be taken into account.
BMI chart
| Category |
BMI Women |
BMI Men |
| Underweight |
Below 19 |
Below 20 |
| Normal weight |
19 – 24 |
20 – 25 |
| Pre-obesity |
25 – 30 |
26 - 30 |
| Obesity class I |
31 – 35 |
31 – 35 |
| Obesity class II |
36 – 40 |
36 – 40 |
| Obesity class III |
Above 40 |
Above 40 |
BMI only indicates the proportion of body weight to body height. However, the level of risk also depends heavily on your body fat percentage. BMI is simply a guide value for the target weight of adults. For a correct interpretation of BMI, it is important to take into account the age of the person in question. However, the fact remains that you should be seriously concerned about your health if your BMI is 30 or over.
Standard values for an optimal BMI graded by age
| Age |
Optimal BMI Women |
Optimal BMI Men |
| 19 – 24 |
18 – 23 |
19 – 24 |
| 25 – 34 |
19 – 24 |
20 – 25 |
| 35 – 44 |
20 – 25 |
21 – 26 |
| 45 – 54 |
21 – 28 |
22 – 27 |
| 55 – 64 |
22 – 27 |
23 – 28 |
| Older than 65 |
23 – 28 |
24 – 29 |
BMI results
If your BMI is outside the healthy range, you are at increased risk of health problems. Being over or underweight increases the likelihood of numerous diseases. Adiposity, also known as obesity, is a chronic disease caused by being overweight and is harmful to health. Being severely underweight can also result in a variety of medical complications. In both cases, you should urgently consult your general practitioner. A healthy BMI can be restored by living an active lifestyle. That includes plenty of exercise and a balanced diet.
What are the limitations of BMI?
BMI is relatively inaccurate, as it only permits a rough estimation of normal weight. It is possible, for example, that athletes with a high muscle mass weigh a lot, while having a very low body fat percentage. For these people, BMI may indicate that they are overweight, even though that is not the case.
In addition, BMI does not provide any information about the distribution of body fat, where it is known that fat stored on the belly indicates a higher risk to health. As an alternative, experts therefore recommend calculating waist-to-height ratio, which corresponds to waist circumference divided by body height. Waist circumference can indicate unfavorably distributed body fat. If waist circumference is more than 90 cm (36 inches) in women and 100 cm (39 inches) in men, action is required to mitigate the health risks.
