What Is a Good Body Mass Index?

BMI, or body mass index, is a calculation that uses height and weight sometimes employed by healthcare providers as an indicator of your health. If you've never been approached by a health professional about your BMI, consider yourself lucky. BMI is primarily used to provide a risk factor estimate for the development of chronic disease, namely, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and certain cancers. According to a 2014 article published in BioMed Central Public Health, the risk of chronic disease increases with a higher BMI 1.

Low BMI

A low BMI is anything below 18.5. The research on the impact of a low BMI is not extensive, but that range is considered underweight. For older adults, a low BMI may indicate malnutrition and loss of lean body mass. According to a 2010 article published in the New England Journal of Medicine, being underweight may also put you at risk for higher chance of death. Research published in 2014 in BioMed Central Public agreed with this conclusion but also added that higher mortality risk in the underweight population can be caused by external factors, such as smoking, inability to recover from illness and depression.

Good BMI

Healthy Waist Size & BMI

Learn More

A normal or good BMI is a measurement from 18.5 to 24.9. If you are in this range, aim to maintain your weight and current level of physical activity.

High BMI

Having a BMI over 25 is considered overweight, while a BMI over 30 is considered obese. According to the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, 34 percent of U.S. adults are overweight, and 35 percent are obese 5. Healthy lifestyle and dietary modifications can help lower a high BMI, and you can begin to reduce your risk of chronic disease.

Drawbacks to BMI

Weight & Height Ranges for Men & Women

Learn More

BMI ranges are a tool to estimate the risk of chronic disease 1. But BMI is not a direct measure of body fatness and is a more precise predictor of health when used in conjunction with another measurement, such as waist circumference: below 40 inches for men and less than 35 inches for women. Some individuals have excess muscle and would be considered overweight or obese with the current BMI calculation, but they are healthy. Moreover, if you fall in the normal BMI range because genetics favor you, you still cannot be absolute certaint that you are not at risk for chronic disease. BMI also does not incorporate age, frame size or gender into the equation.

How to Get a Good BMI

If you have concerns about your current BMI, it's best to consult a healthcare professional. They can lead you in the direction for weight gain, weight loss or maintenance and get you on the road to health. Other health conditions, medications or personal lifestyle habits may be preventing you from achieving a good BMI. A medical professional can provide resources or a referral to a registered dietitian nutritionist to evaluate your diet and current level of physical activity and make suggestions for a healthy change, if necessary.