BMI category cutoffs were developed largely in European populations. WHO and major medical bodies now recognize lower thresholds for some Asian populations.
Overweight starts at BMI 23 (not 25). Obese starts at BMI 27.5 (not 30).
Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular risk rise at lower BMI in South and East Asian adults, making the shift clinically important.
Waist-to-height ratio holds up across ethnicities better than BMI. That's why we lean on it as a second check.
Use the ratio that works across populations.
WHtR Calculator →
BMI can label muscular athletes as overweight or obese. Here's when BMI misses the mark and what to use instead.
The clearest waist guideline for women, based on the NHS and Ashwell Waist-to-Height ratio — no charts, just one rule.
How age changes your healthy weight range, and the simple WHO/CDC formula that answers "how much should I weigh?".