BMI of 12 — What Does It Mean?

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What does BMI of
mean

BMI of 12 — is it good or bad?

Answer

BMI 12 for Males and Females means
Underweight/Severe thinness

WHO adult scale (18+) · not for pregnancy · the same cut-offs for women and men · BMI does not tell muscle from fat

UnderHealthyOverObese
18.5
25
30
35
40
← 12
1445
↑ BMI
UnderOver

6.5 below the healthy range (18.5 ≤ BMI < 25)

WHO BMI categories (adults)

BMIWeight Category
BMI < 16Underweight/Severe thinness
16 ≤ BMI < 17Underweight/Moderate thinness
17 ≤ BMI < 18.5Underweight/Mild thinness
18.5 ≤ BMI < 25Normal/Healthy Weight
25 ≤ BMI < 30Overweight/Pre-obese
30 ≤ BMI < 35Obese/Class I
35 ≤ BMI < 40Obese/Class II
BMI ≥ 40Morbid Obesity/Class III

Screening, not a diagnosis. Children and teenagers 5–19 are read against WHO BMI-for-age; for many Asian populations WHO names lower action points, 23 and 27.5. Who the BMI scale applies to ↗ · sources: WHO, pregnancy — NHS

BMI 12 at common heights

cm · kgft/in · lbs
150 cm · 27 kg4'11" · 59.4 lbs
155 cm · 28.8 kg5'1" · 63.5 lbs
160 cm · 30.7 kg5'3" · 67.7 lbs
165 cm · 32.7 kg5'5" · 72.1 lbs
170 cm · 34.7 kg
≈ 35 kg · BMI 12.11		5'7" · 76.6 lbs
175 cm · 36.8 kg5'9" · 81.3 lbs
180 cm · 38.9 kg5'11" · 86 lbs
185 cm · 41.1 kg6'1" · 91 lbs
190 cm · 43.3 kg6'3" · 96 lbs

ft/in — nearest inch to the height in cm; the weight is computed for that inch.

See Also

Recalculate with different values ↑

BMI Table

BMICategory
10Underweight/Severe thinness
10.1Underweight/Severe thinness
10.5Underweight/Severe thinness
11Underweight/Severe thinness
11.2Underweight/Severe thinness
11.4Underweight/Severe thinness
11.5Underweight/Severe thinness
11.7Underweight/Severe thinness
11.8Underweight/Severe thinness
11.9Underweight/Severe thinness
12Underweight/Severe thinness
12.4Underweight/Severe thinness
12.5Underweight/Severe thinness
12.6Underweight/Severe thinness
12.7Underweight/Severe thinness
12.8Underweight/Severe thinness
12.9Underweight/Severe thinness
13Underweight/Severe thinness
13.1Underweight/Severe thinness
13.2Underweight/Severe thinness
13.3Underweight/Severe thinness
13.4Underweight/Severe thinness
13.5Underweight/Severe thinness
13.6Underweight/Severe thinness
13.7Underweight/Severe thinness
13.8Underweight/Severe thinness
13.9Underweight/Severe thinness
14Underweight/Severe thinness
14.1Underweight/Severe thinness
14.2Underweight/Severe thinness

FAQ

BMI of 12 — is it good or bad?

BMI 12 for Males and Females means Underweight/Severe thinness

Is BMI of 12 dangerous?

BMI of 12 falls into the "Underweight/Severe thinness" category. A BMI below 18.5 may indicate insufficient body weight. Consult a healthcare professional for personalized advice.

What weight gives a BMI of 12?

BMI is weight divided by height in metres squared, so it names a weight only once the height is fixed: at 170 cm (5 ft 7 in) a BMI of 12 means about 76.5 lb (34.7 kg). A taller person reaches the same BMI at a proportionally higher weight.

Does a BMI of 12 mean the same for men and women?

Yes — the WHO adult scale has no separate cut-offs by sex, so a BMI of 12 reads as "Underweight/Severe thinness" for both. Age is what changes it: the adult table starts at 18, while children and teenagers aged 5–19 are compared with age- and sex-specific reference values instead.

See Also