Go to the page content

Your result:

BMI Classification Table
BMI Classification
Under 18.5 Underweight
18.5 - 24.9 Normal Weight
25-29.9 Overweight
30-34.9 Obesity Class I
35-39.9 Obesity Class II
Over 40 Obesity Class III

*This BMI calculator is not applicable if you are below 20 years old. BMI is interpreted differently for children and teens, even though it is calculated using the same formula as adult BMI. Please consult with your healthcare provider for BMI information for under 20s.

Your BMI calculator results: What does it mean?

Your result: Obesity I

Having a BMI of 30-34.9 may mean that you have obesity.

Recommendation

Having a BMI of 30-34.9 may mean that you have obesity and may be at risk of other weight related complications.

The goal of managing and treating obesity is not simply to lose weight, but instead to improve health and lower the risks of other health complications.

There are various scientifically proven treatment options for obesity that may be suggested for people in this category.

Doctors make recommendations depending on the specific needs, current health status and whether there are any weight-related complications.

Treatments can include:

  • Healthy eating
  • Increased physical activity
  • Behavioural therapy
  • Meal replacements/low energy diets
  • Obesity medications
  • Bariatric surgery

You can learn more about treatment options here

How BMI and Waist to Height Ratio can Help Manage Heart Health

People living with overweight, or obesity have a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD), also known as heart disease.

Although both BMI and Waist to Height Ratio (WHtR) can be used to assess a person’s risk of developing CVD, WHtR is considered to be a stronger predictor of cardiovascular risk factors, such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol

BMI is used to indicate a person’s weight category, based on their height and weight. WHtR, on the other hand, is used to measure the distribution of a person’s body fat, based on their height and waist circumference. Measuring WHtR is important, as an excess level of fat stored around the abdomen, in particular, is associated with an increased risk of developing heart disease.

Knowing both your BMI and WHtR can help you to improve your heart health by understanding whether action should be taken to manage your weight.

Click here to calculate your Waist to Height Ratio and what this means for you.

Find your local weight management provider


Talk to your weight management provider about treatment options that could prevent the weight you lose from coming back.

Treatment

A healthcare provider can make recommendations depending on the specific needs, current health status, and whether there are any weight-related complications.

Treatments include:

  • Healthy Eating
  • Increased physical activity
  • Behavioural therapy
  • Meal replacements / low energy diets
  • Weight loss medications
  • Bariatric surgery*

Tips and advice for you

If your BMI shows that you're in the overweight or obesity range, it may be time to make changes so that you can be at a healthier weight. Many things can affect your weight, so you can also try to manage it in different ways. Click on an item below to see what you can do to make a change today.

Nutrition

There is no perfect diet for losing weight. But there are scientifically proven ways of eating that can help you manage weight and prevent the weight from coming back. Focus on managing a healthy weight instead of going to extremes in limiting how much you eat. Here are some examples of diets for obesity treatment:

  • Mediterranean diet
  • High fiber diet
  • Vegetarian diet

Learn more about starting healthier ways of eating and choosing foods for better weight control here

Mental health

There are many reasons why we gain and lose weight and sometimes, they have to do with how we feel.

Some people use food to cope with difficult situations and soothe their feelings. Eating to feel better is called emotional eating - and it's the reason why we sometimes need psychological support instead of diet advice.

Stress can also change the way that you eat and put you at more risk of developing obesity. Learning to manage the stress in your life is one strategy you can also include in your weight management plan. Get 8 tips for managing your stress and your weight.

Activity

Regular exercise is very important for losing and managing your weight. To make sure that your weight management programme is as effective as possible, consider adding aerobic and resistance exercises to your routine.16 You should also move more in general.

Find tips for getting a good start on a new exercise programme here.

Sleep

Getting too little sleep can affect your hormones, which can then affect how and what you eat. When you sleep better, you're better able to make healthy choices and resist tempting foods. Try these tips to improve your sleeping habits:

  • Create healthy routines around sleeping.
  • Relax before going to bed
  • Make your bedroom a great place to sleep

Learn more about getting the sleep your body and mind need here.

Your obesity health risk

Calculating your BMI can be a good first step towards taking control of your health. However, BMI alone doesn't tell the full story. For a more comprehensive understanding of obesity-related health risks, especially when it comes to heart health, calculate your Waist-to-Height Ratio.

Living with overweight or obesity is associated with an increased risk of mortality and other diseases or conditions. Generally, the higher your BMI, the greater the chance of developing other chronic obesity-related diseases, including:

  • Type II diabetes
  • Cardiovascular disease
  • Stroke
  • High blood pressure
  • Infertility
  • Depression and anxiety
  • Coronary heart disease
  • Dyslipidemia
  • Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatohepatitis (MASH)
  • Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
  • Metabolic syndrome (MetS) 
  • Urinary incontinence
  • Obstructive sleep apnea and breathing problems
  • Chronic kidney disease
  • Various types of cancer: including but not limited to - breast, colon, endometrial, oesophageal, kidney, ovarian, and pancreatic cancer
  • Knee osteoarthritis
  • Gallstone disease
  • Thrombosis
  • Gout
  • Increased risk of mortality compared to those with a healthy BMI

Frequently asked questions

Why is BMI important to know?

BMI is a good way to check your risk of diseases related to body fat. Living with overweight or obesity is associated with an increased risk of mortality and other diseases or conditions. Generally, the higher your BMI, the greater the chance of developing other chronic obesity-related diseases, including:

  • Type II diabetes
  • Cardiovascular disease
  • Stroke
  • High blood pressure
  • Infertility
  • Depression and anxiety
  • Coronary heart disease
  • Dyslipidemia
  • Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatohepatitis (MASH)
  • Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
  • Metabolic syndrome (MetS)
  • Urinary incontinence
  • Obstructive sleep apnea and breathing problems
  • Chronic kidney disease
  • Various types of cancer: including but not limited to - breast, colon, endometrial, oesophageal, kidney, ovarian, and pancreatic cancer
  • Knee osteoarthritis
  • Gallstone disease
  • Thrombosis
  • Gout
  • Increased risk of mortality compared to those with a healthy BMI

Ask your doctor for more information about any of these diseases and how they relate to your BMI.

What are the limits of BMI?

BMI is a simple and objective measurement, but it can be misleading in certain cases and for some groups of people. Research has shown that BMI is less accurate in predicting the risk of disease in people who are older, athletes, those who are tall or short, and those with more muscular body types. For example, elite athletes or bodybuilders have more muscle and weigh more, which makes their BMI higher.

BMI also doesn't take into account:

  • Hereditary risk factors associated with obesity-related diseases, such as metabolic syndrome
  • Environmental and lifestyle factors other than obesity that can contribute to your risk of developing chronic disease
  • How body fat is distributed in individuals

It's important to remember that living with obesity doesn't necessarily mean you're unhealthy, just as being at a ‘normal’ weight doesn't mean you're healthy. Your BMI doesn't define you, but knowing and understanding your BMI can be a powerful tool for taking charge of your own health.

Regardless of your BMI, healthcare professionals recommend having a healthy diet and lifestyle. Talk to your doctor about your weight and health and evaluate what actions may be needed.

References
  1. Adult BMI categories (204) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/bmi/adult-calculator/bmi-categories.html#:~:text=BMI%20is%20a%20calculated%20measure,BMI%20is%20a%20screening%20measure.
  2. Sharon, A. (2024) 11 signs that you’re not eating enough, Healthline. Available at: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/signs-of-not-eating-enough#skin-problems
  3. Rueda-Clausen, C F et al, “Assessment of People Living with Obesity,” Can. Adult Obes. Clin. Pract. Guidel., pp. 1–17, 2020.Available: http://obesitycanada.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/6-Obesity-Assessment-v5-with-links.pdf.
  4. Durrer Schutz, D. et al. (2019) ‘European practical and patient-centred guidelines for adult obesity management in Primary Care’, Obesity Facts, 12(1), pp. 40–66. doi:10.1159/000496183.
  5. Garvey, W T et al, “American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists and American College of Endocrinology comprehensive clinical practice guidelines for medical care of patients with obesity.” Endocrine Practice 2016;22:1–203. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4158/EP161365.GL
  6. Prevention -Coronary heart disease (2024) NHS choices. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronary-heart-disease/prevention/
  7. Liu, Leiling et al. (2025) Safety and effects of anti-obesity medications on weight loss, cardiometabolic, and psychological outcomes in people living with overweight or obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2024.103020
  8. Health risks of Overweight & obesity (2023) National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Available at: https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/weight-management/adult-overweight-obesity/health-risks
  9. Kirk SFL, Ramos Salas X, Alberga AS, Russell-Mayhew S. Canadian Adult Obesity Clinical Practice Guidelines: Reducing Weight Bias in Obesity Management, Practice and Policy. Available from: https://obesitycanada.ca/guidelines/weightbias
  10. Factors affecting weight & health - NIDDK (2023) National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Available at: https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/weight-management/adult-overweight-obesity/factors-affecting-weight-health
  11. Estruch R & Ros E. The role of the Mediterranean diet on weight loss and obesity-related diseases. Reviews in Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders 2020; 21:315–327.
  12. Sanders LM et al. Effects of Whole Grain Intake, Compared with Refined Grain, on Appetite and Energy Intake: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Advances in Nutrition 2021; 30;12(4):1177-1195.
  13. Xu, Y. et al. (2024) ‘Relationship of vegetarianism with body weight loss and ASCVD’, Frontiers in Nutrition, 11. doi:10.3389/fnut.2024.1419743.
  14. Mayo Clinic. Weight loss: Gain control of emotional eating. Available at: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/basics/weightloss-basics/hlv-20049483
  15. van der Valk ES, Savas M, van Rossum EFC. Stress and Obesity: Are There More Susceptible Individuals? Curr Obes Rep. 2018 Jun;7(2):193-203. doi: 10.1007/s13679-018-0306-y
  16. Calculating your calories burned (2024) Mayo Clinic. Available at: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/in-depth/exercise/art-20050999
  17. Ong J, Chirinos D & Yap B. Relationship Between Sleep Health and Your Weighthttps://www.obesityaction.org/community/article-library/the-relationship-between-sleep-health-and-your-weight/
  18. NHS. How to get good sleep: Sleep and Tiredness: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/sleep-and-tiredness/how-to-get-to-sleep/
  19. Powell-Wiley, T.M. et al. (2021) ‘Obesity and cardiovascular disease: A scientific statement from the American Heart Association’, Circulation, 143(21). doi:10.1161/cir.0000000000000973.
  20. van Walree, E.S. et al. (2022) ‘Disentangling genetic risks for metabolic syndrome’, Diabetes, 71(11), pp. 2447–2457. doi:10.2337/db22-0478.
  21. Canada, P.H.A. of (2024) Government of Canada, Canada.ca. Available at: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/chronic-diseases/chronic-disease-risk-factors.html (Accessed: 28 May 2025).
  22. Eating & physical activity to lose or maintain weight - NIDDK (2023) National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Available at: https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/weight-management/adult-overweight-obesity/eating-physical-activity.
  23. Ashwell, Margaret. (2011). Charts Based on Body Mass Index and Waist-to-Height Ratio to Assess the Health Risks of Obesity: A Review. The Open Obesity Journal. 311. 78-84. 10.2174/1876823701103010078.

HQ23OB00073 
 

Was this valuable for you?

You might also like