BMI of 15 — What Does It Mean?

"BMI Meaning" Calculator
What does BMI of
mean

BMI of 15 — is it good or bad?

Answer

BMI 15 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
15
1445
↑ BMI

3.5 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 15 at common heights

cm · kgft/in · lbs
150 cm · 33.8 kg
≈ 34 kg · BMI 15.11		4'11" · 74.3 lbs
155 cm · 36 kg5'1" · 79.4 lbs
160 cm · 38.4 kg
≈ 38 kg · BMI 14.84		5'3" · 84.7 lbs
≈ 85 lbs · BMI 15.06
165 cm · 40.8 kg
≈ 41 kg · BMI 15.06		5'5" · 90.1 lbs
≈ 90 lbs · BMI 14.98
170 cm · 43.4 kg
≈ 43 kg · BMI 14.88		5'7" · 95.8 lbs
≈ 96 lbs · BMI 15.03
175 cm · 45.9 kg
≈ 46 kg · BMI 15.02		5'9" · 101.6 lbs
180 cm · 48.6 kg
≈ 49 kg · BMI 15.12		5'11" · 107.6 lbs
185 cm · 51.3 kg
≈ 51 kg · BMI 14.9		6'1" · 113.7 lbs
190 cm · 54.2 kg
≈ 54 kg · BMI 14.96		6'3" · 120 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
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
14.3Underweight/Severe thinness
14.4Underweight/Severe thinness
14.5Underweight/Severe thinness
14.6Underweight/Severe thinness
14.7Underweight/Severe thinness
14.8Underweight/Severe thinness
14.9Underweight/Severe thinness
15Underweight/Severe thinness
15.1Underweight/Severe thinness
15.2Underweight/Severe thinness
15.3Underweight/Severe thinness
15.4Underweight/Severe thinness
15.5Underweight/Severe thinness
15.6Underweight/Severe thinness
15.7Underweight/Severe thinness
15.8Underweight/Severe thinness
15.9Underweight/Severe thinness
16Underweight/Moderate thinness
16.1Underweight/Moderate thinness
16.2Underweight/Moderate thinness
16.3Underweight/Moderate thinness
16.4Underweight/Moderate thinness

FAQ

BMI of 15 — is it good or bad?

BMI 15 for Males and Females means Underweight/Severe thinness

Is BMI of 15 dangerous?

BMI of 15 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 15?

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 15 means about 95.7 lb (43.4 kg). A taller person reaches the same BMI at a proportionally higher weight.

Does a BMI of 15 mean the same for men and women?

Yes — the WHO adult scale has no separate cut-offs by sex, so a BMI of 15 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