BMI Categories: What Is a Healthy BMI Range?
The standard adult BMI categories — underweight, healthy weight, overweight and obesity — and what a healthy range means.
Want your BMI right now?
Open the BMI Calculator →More BMI guides
Frequently asked questions
What is a healthy BMI range?
For most adults a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is considered the healthy range, with lower average health risk across populations.
What BMI is considered overweight?
A BMI of 25.0 to 29.9 falls in the overweight category, and 30.0 or above falls in the obesity category, by the standard WHO adult ranges.
Are BMI categories the same everywhere?
The WHO ranges are widely used, but some countries apply lower thresholds for people of Asian descent, where risk can rise at a lower BMI.
Do children use the same BMI categories?
No. Children and teenagers are assessed using age‑ and sex‑specific BMI percentiles rather than the fixed adult ranges.
BMI Categories: What Is a Healthy BMI Range?
For adults, BMI is grouped into standard ranges set by the World Health Organization. They are the same for men and women aged 20 and over.
| Category | BMI range |
|---|---|
| Underweight | below 18.5 |
| Healthy weight | 18.5 – 24.9 |
| Overweight | 25.0 – 29.9 |
| Obesity | 30.0 and above |
What “healthy range” really means
A BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 is associated, across large populations, with lower average health risk. But it is a population guide: a very muscular person can sit in the “overweight” band while being perfectly fit, and the healthiest weight for any individual depends on much more than BMI alone.
Different thresholds for some groups
Some health bodies use lower cut‑offs for people of South and East Asian descent, because health risks can appear at a lower BMI. Children and teenagers are assessed with age‑ and sex‑specific percentiles instead of these fixed adult ranges.
This is general information, not medical advice. BMI is a screening tool, not a diagnosis — talk to a doctor about what is healthy for you.
Results are estimates for general guidance in United Arab Emirates and may not reflect the latest local rates, fees or rules. Check official sources before making decisions.