Body Health CalculatorBMI Chart by Age: Categories and Weight Ranges
Adult BMI categories do not change by age: underweight is below 18.5, normal is 18.5 to 24.9, overweight is 25 to 29.9, and obese is 30 or higher for everyone 20 and older. Children and teens use age- and sex-specific percentiles instead.
Last updated: September 2026
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BMI categories do not change with adult age
For adults 20 and older, the World Health Organization and CDC use the same four BMI categories at every age: underweight, normal, overweight, and obese. There is no separate "BMI by age" cutoff for a 25-year-old versus a 60-year-old, the way there is for children.
What does change with age is how much weight clinicians give a single BMI number. In older adults, a normal or slightly elevated BMI can mask low muscle mass, so many geriatric guidelines pair BMI with grip strength or unintentional weight loss history rather than treating BMI alone as the verdict.
This page gives the standard adult category table, a weight-range chart by height so you can skip the math, and where child and teen BMI differs.
Standard adult BMI categories
BMI = weight (lb) × 703 ÷ height (in)², or weight (kg) ÷ height (m)². The four WHO/CDC bands below apply to non-pregnant adults 20 and older regardless of age.
Adult BMI categories (WHO / CDC)
| Category | BMI |
|---|---|
| Underweight | Below 18.5 |
| Normal weight | 18.5 to 24.9 |
| Overweight | 25.0 to 29.9 |
| Obese | 30.0 and above |
BMI weight-range chart by height
Find your height, then read the weight range for each category. Ranges are rounded to the nearest whole pound using the standard formula above.
Weight ranges by BMI category and height
| Height | Normal (18.5-24.9) | Overweight (25-29.9) | Obese (30+) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4'10" (58 in) | 89-119 lb | 120-143 lb | 144 lb+ |
| 5'0" (60 in) | 95-128 lb | 129-153 lb | 154 lb+ |
| 5'2" (62 in) | 102-136 lb | 137-164 lb | 165 lb+ |
| 5'4" (64 in) | 108-145 lb | 146-174 lb | 175 lb+ |
| 5'6" (66 in) | 115-154 lb | 155-185 lb | 186 lb+ |
| 5'8" (68 in) | 122-164 lb | 165-197 lb | 198 lb+ |
| 5'10" (70 in) | 129-174 lb | 175-209 lb | 210 lb+ |
| 6'0" (72 in) | 137-184 lb | 185-221 lb | 222 lb+ |
| 6'2" (74 in) | 145-194 lb | 195-233 lb | 234 lb+ |
| 6'4" (76 in) | 152-205 lb | 206-246 lb | 247 lb+ |
What BMI does not measure
BMI does not distinguish muscle from fat, so muscular athletes can land in the overweight band without excess body fat, and older adults with low muscle mass can show a normal BMI while losing lean tissue. Waist circumference, body fat percentage, and functional measures add context a single BMI number cannot.
BMI cutoffs were developed mainly from European-ancestry populations. Several health bodies note that some Asian populations show higher cardiometabolic risk at lower BMI thresholds, and use adjusted screening cutoffs in clinical settings.
Children and teens use percentiles, not these categories
For youth ages 2 to 19, CDC growth charts plot BMI-for-age as a percentile against a reference population of the same age and sex, not the fixed adult cutoffs above. Underweight is below the 5th percentile, healthy weight is 5th to under the 85th, overweight is 85th to under the 95th, and obesity is at or above the 95th percentile.
A teenager and an adult with the identical BMI number can fall in different categories because the teen is compared to a growth curve, not a flat scale. Use a pediatric BMI percentile tool for anyone under 20.
FAQs
Does a healthy BMI range change as I get older?
No, the WHO/CDC adult category cutoffs (18.5, 25, 30) stay the same from age 20 onward. Clinicians weigh BMI differently in older adults because of muscle loss risk, but the numeric bands do not shift.
Why is my BMI overweight even though I am fit and lean?
BMI uses only height and weight, so it cannot separate muscle from fat. Athletes and heavily muscled people often score higher BMI without excess body fat; pair BMI with a body fat estimate or waist measurement for a fuller picture.
Is the healthy BMI range the same for men and women?
Yes, the standard WHO/CDC adult categories use the same cutoffs for men and women. Some clinicians still consider sex differences in typical body fat percentage when interpreting a given BMI.