What is the correct BMI for my age?

Author: Prof. Charlene Abbott  |  Last update: Tuesday, September 2, 2025

If your BMI is:
  • Under 18.5 - you are very underweight and possibly malnourished.
  • 18.5 to 24.9 - you have a healthy weight range for young and middle-aged adults.
  • 25.0 to 29.9 - you are overweight.
  • Over 30 - you are obese.

What is a good BMI for my age by age?

Healthcare providers recommend most adults keep their BMI between 18 and 24.9. Adults with a BMI over 25 are considered overweight and a BMI over 30 is considered obese. Older adults, though, do better if they have a BMI between 25 and 27.

What should BMI be for 70 years?

Data from this study suggest that the optimum range of BMI levels for older adults is 31–32 and 27–28 kg/m2 for female and male, respectively.

What is BMI weight for age?

Healthy weight: BMI is equal to or greater than the 5th percentile and less than the 85th percentile for age, gender, and height. Overweight: BMI is at or above the 85th percentile but less than the 95th percentile for age, gender, and height. Obese: BMI is at or above the 95th percentile for age, gender, and height.

Does recommended BMI change with age?

Indeed, because muscle mass decreases with age, it might be wise to shift the healthy BMI range for older adults. The same BMI could mean very different things at age 25 versus age 75.

Instead of Body Mass Index (BMI), Use THIS...

Is BMI calculated differently for seniors?

With their inherent muscle loss, the ratio of body fat to muscle in this age group can be skewed and misrepresented by the standard BMI measurement. Therefore, a healthy BMI for a senior is lower than the generally acceptable range.

What is the correct BMI for a female?

under 18.5 – This is described as underweight. between 18.5 and 24.9 – This is described as the 'healthy range'. between 25 and 29.9 – This is described as overweight. between 30 and 39.9 – This is described as obesity.

How do I reduce my BMI?

How to get your BMI down
  1. Get 30 minutes of aerobic exercise 5 times per week. ...
  2. Limit saturated fats to no more than 7% of your total calories.
  3. Enjoy a low-cholesterol diet with lean meats, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
  4. Limit consumption of red meat and sugary foods and drinks.

How do you read BMI for age chart?

BMI categories for children and teens 2 through 19
  1. Underweight. Less than the 5th percentile.
  2. Healthy Weight. 5th percentile to less than the 85th percentile.
  3. Overweight. 85th percentile to less than the 95th percentile.
  4. Obesity. 95th percentile or greater.
  5. Severe Obesity. 120% of the 95th percentile or greater,

What are the new BMI guidelines for the elderly?

For older adults aged 60–74 years and 75 years and above, the cut-off for underweight reduced from < 18.5 to < 17.4 and < 13.3 respectively. The thresholds for overweight and obese increased for older adults aged 60–74 years old from > = 25 to > 28.8 and > = 30 to > 33.7 respectively.

What BMI range lives longest?

Normal BMI ranges from 18.5 to 24.9; many epidemiological studies show an inverse relationship between mortality and BMI inside the normal BMI range. Other studies show that the lowest mortality in the entire range of BMI is obtained in the overweight range (25–29.9).

What is better than BMI?

Waist circumference-to-height ratio (WHtR) is a better adiposity surrogate measure than body mass index (BMI) in predicting fat mass and discriminating lean mass from childhood through young adulthood.

What is a healthy BMI for a 70 year old?

According to the National Library of Medicine, the normal BMI for elderly is 31–32 and 27–28 kg/m2 for women and men, respectively. However, recent studies have determined that these numbers are not necessarily an accurate representation of overall health.

What is the best BMI for anti-aging?

The range of BMI (<25) that has been generally associated with desirable metabolic health and successful aging is supported by abundant data from DR studies in animal models and humans regarding metabolic parameters, disease risk, and longevity.

Does drinking water lower BMI?

After controlling for total daily water intake and other confounders, drinking water immediately after waking-up was not associated with adiposity by BMI and WC, but drinking water before bedtime was associated with significantly lower BMI (mean difference: -1.00, 95% CI -1.94, -0.07) and non-significantly lower WC ( ...

Which drink reduces belly fat?

The article highlights five homemade morning drinks that assist in losing belly fat by enhancing metabolism and promoting fat burning. These beverages include honey-infused lemon water, jeera water, buttermilk or chaas, cinnamon tea, and green tea.

How to lose belly fat fast?

8 Ways to Lose Belly Fat and Live a Healthier Life
  1. Try curbing carbs instead of fats. ...
  2. Think eating plan, not diet. ...
  3. Keep moving. ...
  4. Lift weights. ...
  5. Become a label reader. ...
  6. Move away from processed foods. ...
  7. Focus on the way your clothes fit more than reading a scale. ...
  8. Hang out with health-focused friends.

Why is my BMI 27 but not fat?

Current thinking is that BMI is an insufficient measure of a person's cardiovascular risk since it fails to take into account a person's muscle mass and overall cardiorespiratory fitness. Healthy individuals with BMIs of 25 to 27 aren't always overweight. This is because the “excess” weight may actually not be fat.

What is a good BMI for a woman over 60?

Therefore, a BMI between 25 and 35 kg/m2 may be optimal for health in the older population. Data from this study suggest that the optimum BMI range is 31–32 kg/m2 for female and 27–28 kg/m2 for male.

How much to walk according to BMI?

If an individual has a higher BMI and is looking to add more activity to their routine, 30 minutes of walking each day, or about 3,000 to 5,000 steps (1.5 to 3 miles), is recommended. This advice also pertains to those with a lower BMI who are just starting out with adding more exercise to their day.

Does your BMI go up as you age?

The significant linear and quadratic growth rates of BMI for both genders indicate concave patterns of age change in BMI where BMI increases from adolescence to middle age, peaks between age 50 to 69 y, and begins to decline after the age of 70 y.

What is the healthiest BMI for a woman?

A healthy BMI for women is between 18.5 and 24.9 – this is also the same for men. However, it's important to note that even at the same BMI, women tend to have more body fat than men. A woman's ethnicity and age may also impact their BMI measurements.

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