What is a healthy weight?

Body Mass Index (BMI) is a measure that uses your height and weight to work out if your weight is within a healthy range. BMI is calculated as your weight (in kilograms) divided by the square of your height (in metres):

To work out your own BMI, visit the NHS website and use their online calculator.

Healthy BMI range for high-risk ethnicities (e.g. South Asian, African-Caribbean) is slightly lower. The classifications for BMI are as follows:

Other considerations

There are some other factors that need to be considered when using BMI as a measurement. Muscle is much denser than fat so someone that has a lot of muscle can find themselves classified as overweight or obese, even though they are a healthy weight.

BMI is not a suitable measurement if you:

• Have an eating disorder
• Are pregnant
• Are under 18 years old