For adults of Asian background, health risks rise at a lower BMI, so lower cut-offs are used: a BMI of 23 or more is overweight and 27.5 or more is obesity, and a healthy BMI is 18.5 to 22.9. These are the action points of a 2004 WHO expert consultation, adopted by NICE in the UK (which also applies them to Middle Eastern, Black African and African-Caribbean adults) and by Singapore.
China, Japan, India and Korea use their own lines, so the calculator shows your BMI under each of them. For example, 168 cm and 68 kg is a BMI of 24.1 — healthy by WHO/CDC cut-offs, overweight by the Asian ones.
Worked example
Height: 168 cmWeight: 68 kgCut-offs: Asian cut-offs (WHO 2004, NICE, Singapore)
Your BMI: 24.1 Overweight
A BMI of 24.1 is a healthy weight under the WHO/CDC cut-offs but overweight under the Asian ones, and under China’s and Korea’s too. At 168 cm the Asian healthy range is 52.1 to 64.7 kg.
Open this example in the calculator →How to use the Asian BMI Calculator
- Choose US or metric units and enter your height and weight.
- Pick the cut-offs: WHO 2004 / NICE for Asian adults generally, or your country’s own standard.
- Read your BMI and category under those cut-offs, and the healthy weight range for your height.
- Compare how the same BMI is classified under every standard in the table below the result.
Why Asian BMI cut-offs are lower
At the same BMI, people of Asian background on average carry more body fat — and more of it around the abdomen and organs — than people of European background. Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease therefore become common at a lower BMI. Studies reviewed by the WHO in 2004 found that the BMI at which risk rose ranged from 22 to 25 across Asian populations, and that high risk began between 26 and 31.
The WHO kept its international cut-offs but added public-health action points at 23, 27.5, 32.5 and 37.5 for Asian populations. NICE adopted them in the UK: overweight from 23, obesity from 27.5, and the thresholds for obesity classes 2 and 3 lowered by 2.5 points as well.
BMI cut-offs by country and standard
| Standard | Healthy | Overweight | Obesity |
|---|---|---|---|
| WHO / CDC (international) | 18.5–24.9 | 25–29.9 | 30 or more |
| WHO 2004 Asian action points, NICE, Singapore | 18.5–22.9 | 23–27.4 | 27.5 or more |
| China | 18.5–23.9 | 24–27.9 | 28 or more |
| Japan (JASSO) | 18.5–24.9 | — | 25 or more (obesity degrees 1–4) |
| India (2009 consensus) | 18–22.9 | 23–24.9 | 25 or more |
| South Korea (KSSO 2020) | 18.5–22.9 | 23–24.9 (pre-obesity) | 25 or more |
Japan has no separate overweight band: from 25 it is obesity of degree 1, and "obesity disease" is diagnosed when that comes with a weight-related health problem or a large waist.
Which cut-offs should I use?
If you live in a country with its own standard, your doctor will use that one. Otherwise, the WHO 2004 action points are the usual choice for adults of East, South-East and South Asian background, and in the UK NICE applies them to adults of Middle Eastern, Black African and African-Caribbean background too. If you are of mixed background, the lower cut-offs are the cautious choice. For children, the usual growth charts are used — see the BMI calculator for kids.
Waist size matters even more
Because the extra risk sits in abdominal fat, a waist measurement adds a lot for Asian adults. Thresholds used for South Asian, Chinese and Japanese adults are lower than for Europeans — often 90 cm (35.4 in) for men and 80 cm (31.5 in) for women. The simplest check works for everyone: keep your waist to less than half your height. Try the waist-to-height ratio calculator.
Frequently asked questions
What is a healthy BMI for Asians?
Most guidelines for adults of Asian background put the healthy range at 18.5 to 22.9, with overweight from 23 and obesity from 27.5 (WHO 2004, NICE, Singapore). China uses 18.5 to 23.9 and India 18 to 22.9.
Why is BMI different for Asian people?
The BMI is calculated the same way; only the cut-offs differ. At the same BMI, Asian adults tend to have more body fat and more abdominal fat, and their risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease rises at a lower BMI. The lower cut-offs reflect that risk.
Is a BMI of 24 overweight for an Asian person?
Yes, under the WHO 2004 Asian action points and NICE (overweight from 23) and under China’s standard (overweight from 24). Under the WHO/CDC international cut-offs it is a healthy weight.
What BMI is obese for Asians?
27.5 or more under the WHO 2004 action points and NICE; 28 or more in China; 25 or more in Japan, India and Korea.
Do Asian cut-offs apply to other ethnic groups?
In the UK, NICE applies the lower thresholds to people of South Asian, Chinese, other Asian, Middle Eastern, Black African and African-Caribbean family background. US guidance (CDC) uses one set of cut-offs for all adults, though many US clinicians screen Asian Americans for diabetes from a BMI of 23.
What waist size is healthy for Asian men and women?
Lower thresholds are commonly used: 90 cm (35.4 in) for men and 80 cm (31.5 in) for women of South Asian, Chinese or Japanese background. Keeping your waist under half your height is a good rule at any height.
Sources
- WHO Expert Consultation. Appropriate body-mass index for Asian populations and its implications for policy and intervention strategies. Lancet 2004;363:157–163 — The Lancet
- Overweight and obesity management (NG246), 2025 — National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (UK)
- Zhou BF; Cooperative Meta-Analysis Group of the Working Group on Obesity in China. Predictive values of body mass index and waist circumference for risk factors of certain related diseases in Chinese adults. Biomed Environ Sci 2002;15:83–96 — Biomedical and Environmental Sciences
- Examination Committee of Criteria for “Obesity Disease” in Japan. New criteria for “obesity disease” in Japan. Circ J 2002;66:987–992 — Japan Society for the Study of Obesity
- Misra A et al. Consensus statement for diagnosis of obesity, abdominal obesity and the metabolic syndrome for Asian Indians. J Assoc Physicians India 2009;57:163–170 — Journal of the Association of Physicians of India
- Kim BY et al. 2020 Korean Society for the Study of Obesity Guidelines for the Management of Obesity in Korea. J Obes Metab Syndr 2021;30:81–92 — Korean Society for the Study of Obesity
- Waist circumference and waist–hip ratio: report of a WHO expert consultation — World Health Organization
- Obesity and overweight (fact sheet) — World Health Organization
For general information only — not a diagnosis or a substitute for advice from a doctor. How we calculate.