Calculate your BMI and discover your personalized plan.

BMI (Body Mass Index) is a measurement that estimates whether your weight is within a healthy range for your height. It is calculated by dividing your weight in kilograms by your height in meters squared.

Healthcare professionals use BMI to assess the risk of weight-related conditions like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. It is also one of the criteria for determining eligibility for certain medical weight loss medications.

Limitations of BMI

Because of these limitations, BMI is just one piece of the puzzle. Providers combine BMI results with other health factors — like medical history, lab results, and lifestyle — when diagnosing obesity and creating medication plans.

BMI Categories (Men and Women)

According to the CDC, the BMI ranges for adults are:

• Underweight: ≤18.4
• Healthy weight: 18.5–24.9
• Overweight: 25–29.9
• Obese: 30+

When BMI qualifies you for medical weight loss

For many weight loss medications, your BMI must meet certain thresholds:

How to lower your BMI

If your BMI is in the overweight or obese range, lowering it can decrease your risk of many chronic diseases. Strategies include:

• Lifestyle changes — Balanced nutrition, regular physical activity, stress management, and adequate sleep.
• Medical support — Prescription weight loss medications (including GLP-1 injections or oral meds like metformin) can help, especially when lifestyle changes alone are not enough.
• Long-term approach — Obesity is a chronic condition. Lasting results come from ongoing management, not quick fixes.

BMI and accuracy

BMI works well for identifying trends in large groups, but it isn't always accurate for individuals:

• Muscular individuals may have a high BMI despite having low body fat.
• Older adults may have a normal BMI but higher body fat due to muscle mass loss.
• Women often find that BMI less accurately reflects their health after menopause due to hormonal and metabolic changes.