Healthy Weight for My Height: BMI Chart in cm and Feet

The short answer

A "healthy weight" range for a given height is usually taken from the BMI range of 18.5 to 24.9. For example, at 170 cm that works out to about 53.5 to 72.0 kg, and at 5 feet 6 inches to about 52.0 to 70.0 kg (115 to 154 lb). The charts below list every common height. For your exact height, enter it in the BMI Calculator, which shows your BMI, its category and your healthy weight range in kilograms.

For many people of South Asian, East Asian and South-East Asian background, health risks start rising at a lower BMI, so a WHO expert consultation suggested an additional action point at BMI 23. That column is included too.

How the range is calculated

BMI is weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared:

BMI = weight (kg) ÷ height (m)²

Turning it around gives the weight for any BMI:

Weight (kg) = BMI × height (m)²

So at 1.70 m: 18.5 × 1.70 × 1.70 = 53.5 kg and 24.9 × 1.70 × 1.70 = 72.0 kg. The BMI Calculator uses exactly these two numbers (18.5 and 24.9) for the "Healthy weight range" line in its result.

Chart: height in centimetres

Height	Healthy range (BMI 18.5 to 24.9)	Weight at BMI 23
150 cm	41.6 to 56.0 kg	51.8 kg
155 cm	44.4 to 59.8 kg	55.3 kg
160 cm	47.4 to 63.7 kg	58.9 kg
165 cm	50.4 to 67.8 kg	62.6 kg
170 cm	53.5 to 72.0 kg	66.5 kg
175 cm	56.7 to 76.3 kg	70.4 kg
180 cm	59.9 to 80.7 kg	74.5 kg
185 cm	63.3 to 85.2 kg	78.7 kg
190 cm	66.8 to 89.9 kg	83.0 kg

Chart: height in feet and inches

Height	Healthy range (kg)	Healthy range (lb)	Weight at BMI 23
4 ft 10 in	40.2 to 54.0 kg	89 to 119 lb	49.9 kg
5 ft 0 in	43.0 to 57.8 kg	95 to 127 lb	53.4 kg
5 ft 2 in	45.9 to 61.8 kg	101 to 136 lb	57.0 kg
5 ft 4 in	48.9 to 65.8 kg	108 to 145 lb	60.8 kg
5 ft 6 in	52.0 to 70.0 kg	115 to 154 lb	64.6 kg
5 ft 8 in	55.2 to 74.3 kg	122 to 164 lb	68.6 kg
5 ft 10 in	58.5 to 78.7 kg	129 to 174 lb	72.7 kg
6 ft 0 in	61.9 to 83.3 kg	136 to 184 lb	76.9 kg
6 ft 2 in	65.4 to 88.0 kg	144 to 194 lb	81.3 kg

Feet and inches were converted at 2.54 cm per inch, and kilograms to pounds at 0.453592 kg per pound, then rounded.

The Asian cut-off of 23

The World Health Organization's standard categories are:

BMI	Category
Below 18.5	Underweight
18.5 to 24.9	Normal weight
25.0 to 29.9	Overweight
30.0 and above	Obese

In 2004, a WHO expert consultation on BMI in Asian populations (published in The Lancet) noted that many Asian populations have a higher risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease at BMIs below 25. It kept the standard categories as the international classification, but identified extra public health action points at BMI 23, 27.5, 32.5 and 37.5. In practice, many doctors in India and other Asian countries treat a BMI of 23 or more as a signal to look more closely at weight, waist size and blood tests.

The BMI Calculator itself uses the standard WHO categories. If the Asian action points apply to you, read your BMI number against both: for example, a BMI of 24.0 shows as "Normal weight" in the calculator but is above the 23 action point.

Worked examples

Example 1: 165 cm and 68 kg. BMI = 68 ÷ (1.65 × 1.65) = 24.98, which the calculator rounds to 25.0, so it shows "Overweight" and suggests losing about 0.2 kg to reach the healthy range. The healthy range for 165 cm is 50.4 to 67.8 kg. This person is right on the boundary, which is exactly where a single number says the least, and waist size and other measures are more useful.

Example 2: 175 cm and 85 kg. BMI = 85 ÷ (1.75 × 1.75) = 27.8, overweight on the WHO scale. The top of the healthy range at 175 cm is 76.3 kg, so the calculator suggests losing about 8.7 kg to reach it. Against the BMI 23 action point (70.4 kg), the gap is larger.

How to check your own height

Open the BMI Calculator.

Choose Metric (kg / cm) or Imperial (lb / ft). In imperial mode, enter feet and inches in separate boxes, for example 5 and 6.

Enter your weight and press Calculate BMI.

Read the BMI, the category, and the Healthy weight range line. If you are above 24.9, the calculator also shows roughly how many kilograms would bring you to the top of the range.

Measure height without shoes, and weigh yourself at the same time of day for consistent results.

What a weight-for-height chart cannot tell you

BMI is a quick screening number, not a diagnosis. Keep these limits in mind:

• It ignores body composition. A muscular person can have a "high" BMI with little body fat, and someone with little muscle can have a "normal" BMI with excess fat.
• It ignores where fat sits. Fat around the waist is linked to higher health risk than fat elsewhere, which is why waist measurement is often checked alongside BMI.
• It is for adults. Children and teenagers are assessed with age- and sex-specific BMI percentiles, not these charts.
• It is not for pregnancy. Weight guidance during pregnancy is different.
• Older adults and athletes may be assessed differently by their doctor.

If you are concerned about your weight, a doctor can look at BMI together with waist size, blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol, which gives a much fuller picture.

Common mistakes

• Treating the middle of the range as a target. The whole 18.5 to 24.9 band is the healthy range on the WHO scale. There is no single ideal number for a height.
• Mixing units. Entering height in feet into a centimetre box gives nonsense. Use the unit switch.
• Reading a 0.1 difference as meaningful. Weight changes by a kilogram or more within a day, so a BMI of 24.9 and 25.1 are effectively the same.

Related guides

For what each BMI category means for health, see BMI Calculator: What It Is, How It Works, and Its Limitations. If you want to change your weight, the Calorie Calculator estimates your daily energy needs, and How Many Calories Should I Eat to Lose Weight? explains a sensible deficit.