Maintaining a healthy weight is an essential part of any personal wellness program. Excess body fat can increase the risk for many of our nation's most common and serious health problems, including high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and several cancers.
What is a healthy weight? The weight at which you look and feel your best is one answer. Another more objective answer is the weight at which you have the lowest risk for disease and at which you live the longest.
Large population studies have addressed this issue. In these studies, scientists use body mass index (BMI), a measure of weight to height, to assess a healthy weight. These studies show that people with BMIs of 18.5 to 24.9 live the longest. Mortality rates rise, these studies show, as BMIs increase over 25. At a BMI of 30, mortality rates are approximately 50 percent higher than in lean individuals.
Being excessively lean can also increase health risks.
Use the BMI Calculator below to check your BMI and risk status.
Compare your BMI with the BMI Norms below.
| BMI Norms |
| Risk Status Based on BMI |
Men & Women |
| Underweight, increased risk |
less than 18.5 |
| Lean, low risk |
18.5 to 22 |
| Healthy range |
20 to 24.9 |
| Overweight, increased risk |
25 and higher |
| Excessively overweight, high risk |
30 and higher |
| A waist girth of 35+ for women or 40+ for men also indicates high risk |
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