BMI Calculator

Work out your body mass index, against the Indian cut-offs or the WHO ones.

Your BMI

24.22

CategoryOverweight
Healthy weight for your height53.5 to 66.5 kg
To reach the healthy rangeLose about 3.5 kg

Works out in your browser. Nothing you type is sent anywhere.

In short: BMI Calculator

At 170 and 70, the BMI is 24.22, which falls in the Overweight band on the cut-offs chosen. The healthy weight range for that height is 53.5 to 66.5 kg. Lose about 3.5 kg. The Indian cut-offs are lower than the WHO ones, so the same BMI can fall in different bands.

What is BMI?

Body mass index is weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared, used as a rough screen for whether a weight is healthy for a height.

How is BMI calculated?

BMI = \frac{weight}{{height}^{2}}

Divide weight in kilograms by height in metres multiplied by itself. A height of one hundred and seventy centimetres is one point seven metres, so the divisor is one point seven times one point seven.

BMIthe body mass index, in kilograms per square metre
weightweight in kilograms
heightheight in metres

A worked example

Inputs and results for the worked example
Result
Height (cm)	170
Weight (kg)	70
Compare against	Indian cut-offs
Your BMI	24.22
Category	Overweight
Healthy weight for your height	53.5 to 66.5 kg
To reach the healthy range	Lose about 3.5 kg

Every figure in this table is produced by the same calculation the tool above runs.

How to use this BMI calculator

Enter your height in centimetres.
Enter your weight in kilograms.
Choose the Indian cut-offs unless you have a reason to use the WHO ones.
Read the band, and the healthy weight range for your height.

Questions people ask

Why are the Indian cut-offs lower?

Because research found that people of South Asian descent face the health risks associated with a high BMI at a lower index than the original WHO thresholds suggested, largely to do with where body fat is carried. India's own guidelines therefore set the overweight line lower. This page defaults to those and lets you compare.

Is BMI a good measure for me?

It is a screen, not a diagnosis, and it does not know muscle from fat. A heavily built athlete can read as overweight while someone with little muscle can read as healthy and still carry too much fat. Waist measurement and body fat percentage tell you more, and both have tools here.

Does BMI work for children?

Not in this form. A child's BMI is read against age and sex charts rather than fixed bands, because healthy ranges change as they grow. Use the growth charts your paediatrician uses instead of this page.

What should I do about the band I am in?

Treat it as a prompt to check with a doctor rather than as an instruction. A single number cannot account for your history, your build or your health. If the figure is far from the healthy range, that conversation is worth having.

Accuracy and sources

For general information. Not medical advice.

Checked by the Daytoolz team on 16 October 2026. How we check our tools.

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