BMI calculator

Our most frequently asked questions about BMI

What you need to know about BMI

We have collected some of the most frequently asked questions about body mass index, how BMI is calculated and what you should be aware of.

How to calculate BMI?

It is easy to calculate your BMI using our calculator on this page, but you can also do the maths yourself by dividing your weight in kilograms by your height and then multiplying the answer by your height in meters. The result is your BMI figure.

The formula for calculating BMI looks like this: weight (kg) / height x height (m) = BMI. For example, 95 kg / 1.75 m x 1.75 m = 31.02 BMI.

What is BMI?

Your body mass index can not only tell you if you are overweight. At Embla, we look beyond your BMI when assessing how we can best help you achieve lasting weight loss. When you book a free health consultation with us, we will ask you a series of questions that can tell us something about your health. We are experts in weight loss and weight control, both with and without medication. At Embla, we offer you an online weight loss course where, with one-to-one health coaching, we help you adapt your lifestyle to achieve long-term weight loss.

BMI stands for Body Mass Index and is a number that indicates whether you are underweight, normal weight, overweight or severely overweight. Your body mass index describes your weight relative to your height and can suggest whether you should lose weight.

BMI is only one tool out of several to assess whether you are overweight. The number cannot say anything about your fat percentage or muscle mass. People with high muscle mass can have a high BMI without being overweight. For example, a bodybuilder can have a BMI over 25 but still have a low body fat percentage.

If you are pregnant, you cannot use your BMI to assess whether you weigh too much, as you will naturally gain weight as your belly grows. If you are under 19 years old, you should also not use our BMI calculator to determine whether you weigh too much or too little compared to the official recommendations. The limits for what normal-weight children and teenagers' body mass index should be are not the same as for adults.

What does BMI stand for?

BMI stands for Body Mass Index and describes the ratio between height and weight. You can use your body mass index to determine if you are overweight, underweight or normal.

What should my BMI be?

Your body mass index should ideally be between 18.5 and 24.9. If your BMI is above 25, you are probably overweight, and if it is above 30, you are in the 'obese' category. Being in this category means that you have the opportunity to get help with medical weight loss. You can read more about that here on our website.

When are you underweight?

If you only look at your BMI number, you are underweight if the number is below 18.5. But because muscle weighs more than fat, your fat percentage may still be within the recommendations for when you are of normal weight.
If you have a low muscle mass, you can easily have a healthy amount of fat in your body. If you are older or have been through a long illness, it is not unusual for the muscle mass to be on the low end, and your body mass index will, therefore, also get smaller, even if you have the same amount of body fat as you always had.

When are you normal weight?

According to the BMI scale, you are of normal weight when your BMI or between 18.5 and 24.9. The limits for when you are of normal weight vary widely. If you are 1.75 m tall, you are within the normal weight range when you weigh from 56.7 kg to 76.3 kg. That's a range of almost 20kg, meaning that, in theory, you could gain 20kg and still not be overweight. But, your BMI tells you nothing about how many of those kgs are fat and how many are muscle. Therefore, a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 does not necessarily mean you are healthy.

When are you overweight?

Based on the BMI scale, you are overweight when your BMI is over 25.

Although you cannot judge from your BMI alone whether you're overweight, there is a statistically more significant risk of developing lifestyle diseases such as type 2 diabetes, osteoarthritis and cardiovascular disease when you have a high BMI.

When are you severely overweight?

You are severely overweight if your BMI is over 30.

The higher your BMI, the greater the risk of developing serious lifestyle diseases. As you are severely overweight, you are also a candidate for help to change your lifestyle and lose weight via medical weight loss.

What is my ideal weight?

We would rather talk about a healthy weight than define an ideal weight. In principle, you are of normal weight when your BMI is between 18.5 and 24.9, but whether you are healthy also depends on many other factors, like how nutritious your diet is, how often you exercise, your sleep etc.

Is there a difference in BMI for women and men?

There is no difference in what your body mass index should be, whether you are a woman or a man.

For both sexes, a normal weight is defined as a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9, even though there is a big difference in body structure, fat percentage and muscle mass in women and men.

There are different recommendations about what a healthy fat percentage and healthy waist measurement are for men and women, alongside the use of BMI these tools can help assess whether you are overweight.

Are BMI and body fat percentage the same?

No, your BMI is not the same as your body fat percentage. The body fat percentage describes how much of your weight is fat. Your BMI does not tell you anything about how much fat you have in your body. Therefore, you often look at the BMI figure and the fat percentage when assessing whether a person is overweight.

What a healthy fat percentage is varies according to gender and age. If you are a woman, your fat percentage should be between 21% and 36%, while for men, it should be between 8% and 25%. But it is also impossible to say anything about whether you are overweight based on the fat percentage alone. Fat can be distributed differently on the body, so your doctor will look at your BMI and waist measurement to assess whether you are overweight.

Risks of high BMI and severe obesity

We know that obesity and being overweight pose a risk of developing a wide range of lifestyle diseases. The higher your BMI, the greater the risk of developing lifestyle-related diseases.

If you have a high body mass index, it does not mean that you will develop a lifestyle disease, but statistically, there is a greater risk. According to the Patient Handbook, the diseases caused by obesity are cardiovascular diseases, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, Type 2 diabetes, depression, gallstone disease, hernias, varicose veins, back problems, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea, gout, and certain types of cancer.

Measure your BMI (Body Mass Index). Enter your weight and height in the calculator and immediately see your BMI. You can also read about BMI and watch the video where our doctor, Azeem, answers the most frequently asked questions.

How is BMI classified?

At Embla

What is BMI?

Watch the video with our doctor, Azeem, who explains a little about BMI.

What you need to know about BMI

How to calculate BMI?

What is BMI?

What does BMI stand for?

What should my BMI be?

When are you underweight?

When are you normal weight?

When are you overweight?

When are you severely overweight?

What is my ideal weight?

Is there a difference in BMI for women and men?

Are BMI and body fat percentage the same?

Risks of high BMI and severe obesity

Do you have more questions?