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Your BMI
Height + weight \— the CDC formula, the category, and your healthy range.
CALCULATOR · HEALTH · BODY
BMI Calculator: Body Mass Index
At 5\′9\″ and 175 lb, your BMI is 25.84 \— just over the 25.0 line into Overweight. Your healthy range at that height is 125.3\–168.6 lb, and a target BMI of 22 means 149.0 lb \— 26.0 lb to lose. BMI is the CDC\’s screening number: weight in a ratio with height, sorted into four bands. It is not a diagnosis \— muscle, pregnancy, and age all move it \— but it is the number every doctor\’s chart starts from. Compute yours below, then the target-weight panel.
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Weight for a target BMI
Pick any target BMI \— get the exact pounds it means at your height.
The 60-second rule
BMI = 703 \× pounds \÷ inches\². Under 18.5 is Underweight, 18.5\–24.9 Healthy, 25\–29.9 Overweight, 30+ Obesity \— the CDC\’s adult bands. At the defaults the answer is 25.84, Overweight \— 0.84 points over the line. The more useful number is the range: 125.3\–168.6 lb is healthy at 5\′9\″, so 175 is only ~6 lb over \— a very different story than 25.84 alone tells. BMI screens; it does not diagnose. Use it as the starting line, not the verdict.
What the bands actually mean
| BMI | CDC category | What it signals |
|---|---|---|
| < 18.5 | Underweight | Screen for under-nutrition, eating disorders, or muscle wasting \— talk to a clinician. |
| 18.5 \– 24.9 | Healthy weight | Lowest statistical risk band for weight-related disease at the population level. |
| 25.0 \– 29.9 | Overweight | Elevated risk band; waist size and bloodwork decide how much it matters for you. |
| \≥ 30.0 | Obesity | High risk band \— most clinicians add waist circumference and labs before acting. |
The worked example, line by line
BMI panel, 5\′9\″ (69 in), 175 lb: 703 \× 175 \÷ 69\² = 123,025 \÷ 4,761 = 25.84 \→ Overweight (25.0\–29.9). Healthy range: 18.5 \× 4,761 \÷ 703 = 125.3 lb to 24.9 \× 4,761 \÷ 703 = 168.6 lb.
Target-weight panel, BMI 22: 22 \× 4,761 \÷ 703 = 149.0 lb \— that is 26.0 lb to lose from 175. Branch: 5\′4\″, 130 lb \→ BMI 22.31, Healthy. Branch: 6\′0\″, 230 lb \→ BMI 31.19, Obesity.
Output · formula · meaning
| Output | Formula | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| BMI | 703 \× lb \÷ in\² | 25.84 at the defaults \— your screening number. |
| Category | CDC bands | Overweight \— the band, not a diagnosis. |
| Healthy range | 18.5 and 24.9 \× in\² \÷ 703 | 125.3\–168.6 lb \— where BMI calls you healthy at your height. |
| Target weight | target BMI \× in\² \÷ 703 | 149.0 lb for BMI 22 \— 26.0 lb from 175. |
Who uses this
- Anyone starting a fitness plan: getting the baseline number and the healthy range, not just the label.
- Patients: understanding what the doctor\’s chart meant by \“overweight\” \— and how close the line is.
- Goal-setters: converting \“BMI 22\” into an exact pound target instead of a vague direction.
- Parents & coaches: note \— adult bands only; children use BMI-for-age percentiles, a different scale.
Accuracy & limitations
The formula is exact \— the CDC\’s. The interpretation is where the limits live: BMI cannot tell muscle from fat (athletes read high), where fat sits (waist circumference predicts risk better), and it is not calibrated for pregnancy, the elderly, or children (kids use BMI-for-age percentiles). Two people with the same BMI can have very different health profiles \— pair it with waist size, activity, and bloodwork. Not medical advice; talk to a clinician about what your number means for you.
Cite this calculatorBright Side Kit. “BMI Calculator: Body Mass Index.” brightoolbox.com, 2026.
Bright Side Kit. "BMI Calculator: Body Mass Index." https://brightoolbox.com/bmi-calculator/ Accessed October 23, 2026.Frequently asked questions
What is a good BMI?
For adults, the CDC calls 18.5\–24.9 healthy weight. But the range matters more than a point: at 5\′9\″, anything from 125.3 to 168.6 lb is in the healthy band \— the target-weight panel above shows yours. Athletes, pregnant people, and older adults should not judge themselves by BMI alone.
How is BMI calculated?
BMI = 703 \× weight in pounds \÷ (height in inches)\². Metric version: kg \÷ m\². Example: 703 \× 175 \÷ 69\² = 25.84. The calculator does it live \— no mental math.
Is BMI accurate?
As a screening tool, yes \— at the population level it tracks body fat reasonably well. As a personal diagnosis, it has real limits: it cannot distinguish muscle from fat, ignores fat distribution, and misreads pregnancy, aging, and childhood. Treat a high BMI as a prompt for waist measurement and bloodwork, not a verdict.
What BMI is considered obese?
30.0 and above is the CDC\’s obesity band for adults (25.0\–29.9 is overweight). At 6\′0\″ and 230 lb the BMI is 31.19 \— in the obesity band. Clinicians usually confirm with waist circumference and metabolic labs before acting on the number.
How much should I weigh for my height?
Use the healthy-range output: 18.5 and 24.9 \× inches\² \÷ 703. At 5\′9\″ that is 125.3\–168.6 lb. A middle-of-the-band target like BMI 22 means 149.0 lb. The target-weight panel computes any BMI you choose.
Why is my BMI high if I\’m muscular?
Because BMI divides total weight by height \— it has no input for muscle. A lifter at 5\′9\″ and 200 lb reads 29.5, Overweight, possibly with a 32-inch waist and excellent labs. If you lift seriously, judge by waist, strength, and bloodwork \— BMI was never built for you.