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BMI Calculator

Work out your body mass index in pounds or kilograms. This BMI calculator shows your category, the healthy weight range for your height, and exactly how far you are from it.

Imperial or metric · Instant result · Nothing leaves your browser

Units

Weightlb

Heightft in

Your BMI

26.6

Overweight

Healthy range for your height

125.3 – 168.6 lb

Corresponds to a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9.

Distance from that range

11.4 lb

To lose. See what that looks like on your photo.

Underweight

Under 18.5

Healthy weight

18.5 – 24.9

Overweight

25 – 29.9

Obese

30 and above

What BMI does and does not tell you

It is the most widely used weight screening number in the world, and it is built from just two measurements. Both of those facts matter.

What it is good for

Spotting trends across large groups, giving a quick first-pass screen, and tracking your own change over time. If your BMI moves from 31 to 26 over a year, that is meaningful regardless of the formula's limits.

What it misses

Muscle versus fat, where fat is distributed, bone density, age, sex, and ethnicity. A powerlifter and a sedentary person of the same height and weight get the same BMI. Waist measurement and body-fat percentage fill in what BMI cannot see.

From a number to a picture

A BMI of 29 does not mean much on its own. Seeing the difference between 29 and 24 on your own body does.

The calculator above tells you how many pounds sit between you and the healthy band. The AI weight loss simulator takes that number and shows it — upload a photo, set the amount, and get a realistic edit of yourself at the lower weight with your face, clothing, and background unchanged.

Planning the timeline too? The goal weight date calculator turns the same gap into a calendar date and four milestone checkpoints.

A note on accuracy

BMI is a population screening tool, not a diagnosis. It cannot distinguish muscle from fat, does not account for body-fat distribution, and is not adjusted for age, sex, or ethnicity. A number outside the healthy band does not automatically mean you are unhealthy, and a number inside it does not mean you are not. Nothing here is medical advice — talk to a doctor about what your numbers mean for you.

BMI Calculator FAQ

Questions about the formula, the categories, and what BMI can actually tell you.

How is BMI calculated?

BMI is your weight in kilograms divided by your height in metres squared. In imperial units the same formula is weight in pounds divided by height in inches squared, multiplied by 703. This calculator handles both — enter whichever units you think in and it converts for you.

What is a healthy BMI range?

The World Health Organization bands are: under 18.5 underweight, 18.5 to 24.9 healthy weight, 25 to 29.9 overweight, and 30 or above obese. These are population-level categories, not a diagnosis of any individual person's health.

Is BMI accurate?

It is useful and it is crude. BMI only knows two numbers — height and weight — so it cannot tell muscle from fat, or where fat sits on your body. A muscular athlete can read as overweight, and someone with low muscle mass can read as healthy while carrying a lot of visceral fat. It is a screening tool, not a verdict.

Why does BMI not account for muscle?

Because the formula has no input for body composition. Muscle is denser than fat, so two people at the same height and weight — one lean and muscular, one not — get an identical BMI and look completely different. This is the single biggest limitation of the measure, and the reason waist circumference and body-fat percentage are often used alongside it.

What weight do I need to reach a healthy BMI?

The calculator shows the full healthy-weight range for your height, in both pounds and kilograms, along with how far you are from the nearest edge of it. Enter your height and it appears under your result.

Does BMI work the same for men and women?

The formula and the category thresholds are the same for both, which is another of its limitations — women naturally carry a higher body-fat percentage at the same BMI. The categories also do not adjust for age or ethnicity, though some health bodies use lower thresholds for people of South Asian descent.

Is this BMI calculator free?

Yes. It runs entirely in your browser, needs no account, and uses no credits. Credits only apply to the AI photo simulator on this site.

Want a date for your goal? Use the goal weight date calculator. Need your daily calories? Try the TDEE calculator. Working across units? Convert pounds to kilograms.

See the weight, not just the number

Upload one photo and preview a realistic before-and-after at your target weight. Your first simulation is free.

Try the Weight Loss Simulator See Pricing