BMI for ages 45 to 49
BMI works the same way at every adult age. This page shows an example for adults aged 45 to 49, at 5 ft 4 in and 165 lb.
How it works
Divide weight in kilograms by height in meters squared to get BMI. If you enter pounds and inches, the page converts them first. At 5 ft 4 in and 165 lb the height squared is 2.643.
Worked example
Say a person is 5 ft 4 in and 165 lb. In metric that is 1.6256 m and 74.8 kg. Then 74.8 ÷ (1.6256 × 1.6256) = 74.8 ÷ 2.643 = 28.3, which is overweight.
Common questions
What BMI range counts as a healthy weight for adults?
Under 18.5 is underweight. 18.5 to 24.9 is a healthy weight. 25 to 29.9 is overweight. 30 or more is obesity. At 5 ft 4 in, a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 works out to 108 to 145 lb.
Does BMI measure body fat?
No. BMI only uses height and weight. Two people with the same BMI can carry very different amounts of fat and muscle. At 5 ft 4 in and 165 lb, the BMI of 28.3 comes from those two numbers alone.
Is BMI accurate for muscular people?
It can read high for someone with a lot of muscle, because muscle weighs more than the same volume of fat. A body fat measurement gives a better picture in that case. At 165 lb, the BMI of 28.3 says nothing about how much of that weight is muscle.
Does the adult BMI formula work for children and teens?
No. Children and teens are compared with others of the same age and sex. They need a percentile-based calculator instead of the adult bands. This page uses age 47 as its example, and the adult bands apply from age 20.
Does age or sex change the adult BMI result?
The number itself does not change. The formula uses only height and weight. Some health bodies suggest different cut points for some groups. Ask your doctor what suits you. At age 47 the result for 5 ft 4 in and 165 lb is 28.3, the same as at any other adult age.