BMI for ages 70 to 74
BMI works the same way at every adult age. This page shows an example for adults aged 70 to 74, at 5 ft 9 in and 180 lb.
How it works
Multiply your height in meters by itself. Divide your weight in kilograms by the result. That is your BMI. Pounds and inches work too, because the page converts them. With 5 ft 9 in and 180 lb entered, the page squares 1.7526 meters to get 3.072.
Worked example
For 5 ft 9 in and 180 lb, the metric values are 1.7526 m and 81.6 kg. Dividing gives 81.6 ÷ (1.7526 × 1.7526) = 81.6 ÷ 3.072 = 26.6. The result 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 9 in, a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 works out to 125 to 169 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 9 in and 180 lb, the BMI of 26.6 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 180 lb, the BMI of 26.6 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 72 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 72 the result for 5 ft 9 in and 180 lb is 26.6, the same as at any other adult age.