Health

Is a BMI of 25 overweight?

The answer depends on which cut-off applies to you, and the Indian one is lower than the number most calculators show.

Yes — a BMI of 25.0 is exactly where the WHO international "overweight" range begins (normal is 18.5 to 24.9). But if you are of Indian or other South Asian origin, the threshold that applies to you is 23, not 25: the WHO Asia-Pacific and Indian Government guidelines classify 23.0 to 24.9 as overweight and 25.0 and above as obese, because South Asians develop diabetes and heart disease at a lower BMI than the international cut-offs assume.

Worked out 2026-09-04 (IST) · WHO international and WHO Asia-Pacific / Indian Government cut-offs

The two sets of cut-offs

BMI categories: international vs Indian / Asia-Pacific
Category	WHO international	India / WHO Asia-Pacific
Underweight	Below 18.5	Below 18.5
Normal	18.5 – 24.9	18.5 – 22.9
Overweight	25.0 – 29.9	23.0 – 24.9
Obese	30.0 and above	25.0 and above
Action threshold	Lifestyle change at 25	Lifestyle change at 23

What BMI 23 and 25 weigh, by height

The weight at which you cross each line. Find your height and read across.

Weight at each BMI threshold (kg)
Height	BMI 18.5	BMI 23 (Indian overweight)	BMI 25 (international overweight / Indian obese)	BMI 30
150 cm (4'11")	41.6	51.8	56.2	67.5
155 cm (5'1")	44.4	55.3	60.1	72.1
160 cm (5'3")	47.4	58.9	64.0	76.8
165 cm (5'5")	50.4	62.6	68.1	81.7
170 cm (5'7")	53.5	66.5	72.2	86.7
175 cm (5'9")	56.7	70.4	76.6	91.9
180 cm (5'11")	59.9	74.5	81.0	97.2
185 cm (6'1")	63.3	78.7	85.6	102.7

BMI is a screen, not a diagnosis. It cannot distinguish muscle from fat, does not account for age or frame, and was never designed for individuals — it was built for population statistics. Treat a BMI above your cut-off as a prompt to check waist circumference, blood pressure and fasting glucose, not as a verdict.

The formula

BMI = weight in kg ÷ (height in metres)²

A person of 72 kg and 1.70 m has a BMI of 72 ÷ 2.89 = 24.9 — normal internationally, but overweight under the Indian cut-off. In pounds and inches the formula is weight × 703 ÷ height².

Check your own numbers

Enter your height and weight to get your BMI against both the international and the Indian cut-offs.

BMI CalculatorHeight and weight to BMI, with the healthy weight range for your height.

Frequently asked

Why do Indians have a lower BMI threshold?

At the same BMI, South Asians on average carry more visceral fat and less muscle than Europeans, and show higher insulin resistance. Studies behind the WHO Asia-Pacific guidance found the diabetes and cardiovascular risk seen in Europeans at BMI 25 appears in South Asians at about BMI 23, so India adopted 23 as the overweight cut-off and 25 as obese.

Can a fit, muscular person have a BMI of 25?

Easily. BMI is weight divided by height squared and knows nothing about body composition, so a lean athlete with high muscle mass is routinely classed overweight while a sedentary person with the same BMI and far more fat is classed identically. If your BMI is 25-27 and your waist and body fat are low, the BMI is the number that is wrong, not you.

What is a healthy waist measurement for Indians?

The Indian cut-offs are below 90 cm (35 in) for men and below 80 cm (31.5 in) for women — lower than the international 102 cm and 88 cm. Waist circumference tracks visceral fat directly, so it is a better single screen than BMI, and the two used together are better than either alone.

How much weight is 1 BMI point?

For an adult of 1.70 m, one BMI point is about 2.9 kg; at 1.60 m it is about 2.6 kg and at 1.80 m about 3.2 kg. The conversion is 1 BMI point = height in metres squared, in kilograms. So moving from BMI 25 to BMI 23 at 1.70 m means losing roughly 5.8 kg.

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