Asian BMI

Asian BMI chart

Many Asian populations face higher health risks at a lower BMI. Here are the WHO Asian action points, 23 and 27.5, next to the standard categories, with the source for each.

BMI	Standard (WHO/CDC)	Asian action points (WHO 2004)
Under 18.5	Underweight	Underweight
18.5 – 22.9	Healthy weight	Lower risk
23 – 24.9	Healthy weight	Increased risk
25 – 27.4	Overweight	Increased risk
27.5 – 29.9	Overweight	High risk
30 or more	Obesity	High risk

What WHO concluded

In 2004 a WHO expert consultation reviewed studies from across Asia and published its findings in The Lancet. It found that the share of Asian people with a high risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease is substantial at BMIs below the standard overweight cut-off of 25. It did not set one new cut-off for all Asians. Instead it kept the standard categories and proposed extra public health action points at 23, 27.5, 32.5 and 37.5, so countries could choose the points that fit their populations. (WHO Expert Consultation, Lancet 2004, via PubMed)

Cut-offs used by country

Where	Cut-offs	Source
United Kingdom	Overweight 23 to 27.4, obese 27.5 or more, for people from a South Asian, Chinese, other Asian, Middle Eastern, Black African or African-Caribbean background	NHS; NICE NG246
China	Overweight 24, obesity 28	Working Group on Obesity in China, 2002
Japan	Obesity 25	Japan Society for the Study of Obesity, 2002
India	Overweight 23, obesity 25	Consensus statement for Asian Indians, 2009
United States	Standard categories (25 overweight, 30 obesity) for all adults	CDC

Asian BMI table by height

Weights that match each range, using the WHO action points 23 and 27.5. BMI rounded to one decimal.

Weights in pounds, Asian action points
Height	Under 18.5	18.5–22.9	23–27.4	27.5+
4 ft 10 in (147 cm)	under 89 lb	89 – 109 lb	110 – 131 lb	132 lb +
4 ft 11 in (150 cm)	under 92 lb	92 – 113 lb	114 – 135 lb	136 lb +
5 ft 0 in (152 cm)	under 95 lb	95 – 117 lb	118 – 140 lb	141 lb +
5 ft 1 in (155 cm)	under 98 lb	98 – 121 lb	122 – 145 lb	146 lb +
5 ft 2 in (157 cm)	under 101 lb	101 – 125 lb	126 – 150 lb	151 lb +
5 ft 3 in (160 cm)	under 105 lb	105 – 129 lb	130 – 154 lb	155 lb +
5 ft 4 in (163 cm)	under 108 lb	108 – 133 lb	134 – 159 lb	160 lb +
5 ft 5 in (165 cm)	under 111 lb	111 – 137 lb	138 – 164 lb	165 lb +
5 ft 6 in (168 cm)	under 115 lb	115 – 142 lb	143 – 170 lb	171 lb +
5 ft 7 in (170 cm)	under 118 lb	118 – 146 lb	147 – 175 lb	176 lb +
5 ft 8 in (173 cm)	under 122 lb	122 – 150 lb	151 – 180 lb	181 lb +
5 ft 9 in (175 cm)	under 125 lb	125 – 155 lb	156 – 185 lb	186 lb +
5 ft 10 in (178 cm)	under 129 lb	129 – 159 lb	160 – 191 lb	192 lb +
5 ft 11 in (180 cm)	under 133 lb	133 – 164 lb	165 – 196 lb	197 lb +
6 ft 0 in (183 cm)	under 137 lb	137 – 169 lb	170 – 202 lb	203 lb +
6 ft 1 in (185 cm)	under 140 lb	140 – 173 lb	174 – 208 lb	209 lb +
6 ft 2 in (188 cm)	under 144 lb	144 – 178 lb	179 – 213 lb	214 lb +

Weights in kilograms, Asian action points
Height	Under 18.5	18.5–22.9	23–27.4	27.5+
150 cm	under 42 kg	42 – 51 kg	52 – 61 kg	62 kg +
155 cm	under 45 kg	45 – 55 kg	56 – 65 kg	66 kg +
160 cm	under 48 kg	48 – 58 kg	59 – 70 kg	71 kg +
165 cm	under 51 kg	51 – 62 kg	63 – 74 kg	75 kg +
170 cm	under 54 kg	54 – 66 kg	67 – 79 kg	80 kg +
175 cm	under 57 kg	57 – 70 kg	71 – 84 kg	85 kg +
180 cm	under 60 kg	60 – 74 kg	75 – 88 kg	89 kg +
185 cm	under 64 kg	64 – 78 kg	79 – 93 kg	94 kg +

Why the difference?

At the same BMI, many people of Asian background carry more body fat, and more of it around the waist, than people of European background. That is why the lower thresholds focus on risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease rather than on appearance. A waist-to-height ratio under 0.5 is a useful second check that NICE says works for all ethnicities.

Compare with the standard BMI chart or calculate your number with the BMI calculator (it shows the standard categories).

Questions

What is a healthy BMI for Asians?

A WHO expert consultation in 2004 found that many Asian populations have higher risks of type 2 diabetes and heart disease at BMIs below 25. It proposed 23 and 27.5 as public health action points. In the UK, the NHS and NICE count 23 to 27.4 as overweight and 27.5 or more as obesity for people from an Asian background.

Did WHO change the official BMI categories for Asians?

No. WHO kept the standard categories for international comparison and added the action points 23, 27.5, 32.5 and 37.5. Countries were encouraged to decide which points to use locally.

Which countries use lower BMI cut-offs?

Examples include China (overweight 24, obesity 28), Japan (obesity 25), India (overweight 23, obesity 25) and the UK for people from Asian, Middle Eastern, Black African or African-Caribbean backgrounds (overweight from 23, obesity from 27.5).

Should I use the Asian chart if I have Asian heritage but live in the US?

The lower action points describe risk in people of Asian background, wherever they live. US clinical practice does not apply them uniformly, so it is worth asking your doctor which thresholds they use.

Sources

WHO Expert Consultation (2004). Appropriate body-mass index for Asian populations and its implications for policy and intervention strategies. Lancet 363: 157–163. PubMed 14726171.
NHS: Calculate your body mass index (BMI) for adults.
NICE guideline NG246: Identifying and assessing overweight, obesity and central adiposity.
Zhou BF; Cooperative Meta-Analysis Group of the Working Group on Obesity in China (2002). Biomed Environ Sci 15(1): 83–96. PubMed 12046553.
Examination Committee of Criteria for “Obesity Disease” in Japan; Japan Society for the Study of Obesity (2002). Circ J 66(11): 987–992. PubMed 12419927.
Misra A et al. (2009). Consensus statement for diagnosis of obesity, abdominal obesity and the metabolic syndrome for Asian Indians. J Assoc Physicians India 57: 163–170. PubMed 19582986.
CDC: Adult BMI categories.

Last reviewed: 2026-10-06. Checked against the sources listed on this page.

BMI is a screening estimate, not a diagnosis and not medical advice. It does not measure body fat directly. For health questions, talk to a doctor or nurse.