BMI Calculator
Body Mass Index against the WHO bands — including the Asian-population action points that matter for most of our readers — followed by an honest section on what this one number cannot see.
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What BMI cannot see
It cannot tell fat from muscle. BMI is weight over height squared — nothing more. A muscular lifter and an under-muscled person with high body fat can share the same BMI and be in opposite situations.
It cannot see where fat sits. Fat stored around the waist carries different health implications than fat at the hips — a waist measurement plus BMI tells you more than BMI alone (WHO 2000).
Its cut-offs are population lines, not personal verdicts. The bands were drawn from population health data (WHO 2000), and the WHO’s own expert consultation found risk rises at lower BMIs in many Asian populations — proposing 23 and 27.5 as added action points (Lancet 2004). Treat BMI as a screening signal, never a diagnosis.
The math, shown
BMI = weight (kg) ÷ height (m)². WHO bands: under 18.5 underweight · 18.5–24.9 healthy range · 25–29.9 overweight · 30+ obesity (WHO 2000). Asian-population action points: 23 (increased risk) and 27.5 (high risk) per the WHO expert consultation (Lancet 2004).
These bands are population formulas — a starting point, not a prescription. Body composition, waist, strength and bloodwork say far more about your health than this single ratio. That is what the 9-axis Body Scan measures.
Sources
- World Health Organization. Obesity: preventing and managing the global epidemic. WHO Technical Report Series 894. Geneva: WHO; 2000.
- WHO Expert Consultation. Appropriate body-mass index for Asian populations and its implications for policy and intervention strategies. Lancet. 2004;363(9403):157–163.
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