WIN Weight-control Information Network

Weight and Waist

Measurement:

Tools for Adults

Health care providers use body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference

measures to assess a person’s risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, or

other health problems. This fact sheet tells you how to measure your BMI

and waist circumference, and what these measures mean for your health.

Body mass index

BMI measures your weight in relation to your height, and is closely

associated with measures of body fat. You can calculate your BMI using

this formula:

For example, for someone who is 5 feet, 7 inches tall and weighs 220

pounds, the calculation would look like this:

A BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is considered healthy. A person with a BMI of 25 to

29.9 is considered overweight, and a person with a BMI of 30 or more is

considered obese.

You can also find your weight group on the chart on page 2. The chart

applies to all adults. The higher weights in the healthy range apply to

people with more muscle and bone, such as men. Even within the healthy

range, weight gain could increase your risk for health problems.

Because BMI does not show the difference between fat and muscle, it does

not always accurately predict when weight could lead to health problems.

For example, someone with a lot of muscle (such as a body builder) may

have a BMI in the unhealthy range, but still be healthy and have little risk

of developing diabetes or having a heart attack.

Today, 64.5

percent of adults

in the U.S. are

overweight or

obese. How do

you know if you

are among them?

Two simple

measures, body

mass index (BMI)

and waist

circumference,

provide useful

estimates of

overweight,

obesity, and body

fat distribution.

BMI = weight (pounds) x 703

 height squared (inches2

)

BMI = 220 pounds x 703 = 154660 = 34.45

67 inches x 67 inches 4489

U.S. DEPARTMENT

OF HEALTH AND

HUMAN SERVICES
Find your weight on the bottom of the graph. Go straight up from that point until you come to the line that

matches your height. Then look to find your weight group. The higher your BMI is over 25, the greater chance

you may have of developing health problems.

* Without shoes ** Without clothes

2

BMI also may not accurately reflect body fatness in people who are very short (under 5 feet) and in older people,

who tend to lose muscle mass as they age. And it may not be the best predictor of weight-related health problems

among some racial and ethnic groups such as African American and Hispanic/Latino American women. But for

most people, BMI is a reliable way to tell if your weight is putting your health at risk.

Waist circumference

Excess weight, as measured by BMI, is not the only risk to your health. So is the

location of fat on your body. If you carry fat mainly around your waist, you are

more likely to develop health problems than if you carry fat

mainly in your hips and thighs. This is true even if your

BMI falls within the normal range. Women with a waist

measurement of more than 35 inches or men with a

waist measurement of more than 40 inches may have a
higher disease risk than people with smaller waist measurements because

of where their fat lies.

To measure your waist circumference, place a tape measure around your

bare abdomen just above your hip bone. Be sure that the tape is snug, but

does not compress your skin, and is parallel to the floor. Relax, exhale,

and measure your waist.

How does overweight or obesity affect my health?

Extra weight can put you at higher risk for these health problems:

■ type 2 diabetes (high blood sugar)

■ high blood pressure

■ heart disease and stroke

■ some types of cancer

■ sleep apnea (when breathing stops for short periods during sleep)

■ osteoarthritis (wearing away of the joints)

■ gallbladder disease

■ liver disease

■ irregular menstrual periods

What should I do if my BMI or waist measurement is

too high?

If your BMI is between 25 and 30 and you are otherwise healthy, try to

avoid gaining more weight, and look into healthy ways to lose weight and

increase physical activity. Talk to your health care provider about losing

weight if:

■ your BMI is 30 or above, or

■ your BMI is between 25 and 30 and you have:

■ two or more of the health problems listed above or

■ a family history of heart disease or diabetes, or

■ your waist measures over 35 inches (women) or 40 inches (men)—even

if your BMI is less than 25—and you have:

■ two or more of the health problems listed above or

■ a family history of heart disease or diabetes.

Extra weight

can put you at

a higher risk

for many

health

problems

including type

2 diabetes,

high blood

pressure, and

heart disease.

3
NIH Publication No. 04-5283

Reprinted June 2004

Weight-control

Information

Network

1 WIN WAY

BETHESDA, MD 20892-3665

Phone: (202) 828-1025

Toll-free number:

1-877-946-4627

FAX: (202) 828-1028

Email:

WIN@info.niddk.nih.gov

Internet: www.niddk.nih.gov/

health/nutrit/nutrit.htm

The Weight-control Information

Network (WIN) is a national service

of the National Institute of Diabetes

and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

of the National Institutes of Health,

which is the Federal Government’s

lead agency responsible for

biomedical research on nutrition

and obesity. Authorized by Congress

(Public Law 103-43), WIN provides

the general public, health

professionals, the media, and

Congress with up-to-date, sciencebased health information on weight

control, obesity, physical activity,

and related nutritional issues.

WIN answers inquiries, develops and

distributes publications, and works

closely with professional and patient

organizations and Government

agencies to coordinate resources

about weight control and related

issues.

Publications produced by WIN are

reviewed by both NIDDK scientists

and outside experts. This fact sheet

was also reviewed by Robert

Kushner, M.D., Professor of

Medicine, Northwestern University

and Medical Director, Wellness

Institute, Northwestern Memorial

Hospital, and Domenica Rubino,

M.D., George Washington University

Weight Management Program.

This publication is not copyrighted. WIN

encourages users of this fact sheet to duplicate

and distribute as many copies as desired.

This fact sheet is also available at

www.niddk.nih.gov/health/nutrit/nutrit.htm.

Additional Reading

Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Across Your Lifespan:

Better Health and You. NIH Publication No. 02-4992.

June 2002. Available from WIN.

Understanding Adult Obesity. NIH Publication No. 01-3680.

October 2001. Available from WIN.

Active at Any Size. NIH Publication No. 04-4352.

Reprinted April 2004. Available from WIN.

Weight-loss and Nutrition Myths. NIH Publication

No. 04-4561. Reprinted March 2004. Available from WIN.

National Institute of Diabetes and

Digestive and Kidney Diseases