BMI with WHO and Asia-Pacific categories.
The two scales disagree here. The Asia-Pacific thresholds say overweight; the international scale says normal. Asia-Pacific is the more appropriate reference for Filipino adults.
What it's for
Work out your body mass index (BMI) — one number from your height and weight, used to screen for being under- or overweight. It is a general reference figure, not a diagnosis.
Before you start
Have your height and your weight, measured recently. Centimetres and kilograms work, and so do inches and pounds.
Pick your units
Under Units, press Metric for centimetres and kilograms, or Imperial for inches and pounds. Switching converts the numbers already typed, so you do not have to start again.
Enter your height
Type your height in Height (cm) — 170, not 1.70. On Imperial the box is Height (inches): 5 feet 7 inches is 67.
Enter your weight
Type your weight in Weight (kg), or in Weight (pounds) on Imperial. Decimals are fine, such as 68.5. Type the number only, without kg or lb after it.
Press Calculate
Press Calculate. The answer already updates as you type; the button brings it into view.
Reading the result
If it goes wrong
Body mass index is your weight in kilograms divided by the square of your height in metres. It is a rough screening figure for whether your weight is likely to be a health risk — useful across a population, blunt for any individual.
This page shows two classifications because they do not agree. The international thresholds were drawn largely from European populations; the Asia-Pacific thresholds are lower, because health risks linked to body fat appear at lower BMI values in Asian populations. At a BMI of 24 the two scales give opposite answers.
Because they disagree, and the disagreement matters. The international thresholds were drawn from mostly European populations. Health risks associated with body fat appear at lower BMI values in Asian populations, so a separate Asia-Pacific scale exists with lower cut-offs for overweight and obesity. For a Filipino adult, the Asia-Pacific scale is the more appropriate reference.
BMI is a population screening tool, not a diagnosis. It does not distinguish muscle from fat, and it does not account for build, age, pregnancy or ethnicity beyond the two scales shown. A muscular person can register as overweight while carrying very little fat. Treat it as one number among several, and talk to a doctor about what it means for you.
The range shown is the Asia-Pacific normal band (BMI 18.5 to 23) converted back into kilograms for your height. It is a guide, not a target.
The bands come from the engine, so this table and the figure above can never drift apart.
Important
This is a screening figure, not medical advice or a diagnosis. BMI does not distinguish muscle from fat, and it is not a substitute for talking to a doctor. Nothing you type here is sent to our servers — the calculation runs entirely in your browser.
