BMI of 16 — What Does It Mean?

"BMI Meaning" Calculator
What does BMI of
mean

BMI of 16 — is it good or bad?

Answer

BMI 16 for Males and Females means
Underweight/Moderate 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
16
1445
↑ BMI

2.5 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 16 at common heights

cm · kgft/in · lbs
150 cm · 36 kg4'11" · 79.2 lbs
155 cm · 38.4 kg5'1" · 84.7 lbs
≈ 85 lbs · BMI 16.06
160 cm · 41 kg5'3" · 90.3 lbs
165 cm · 43.6 kg
≈ 44 kg · BMI 16.16		5'5" · 96.2 lbs
170 cm · 46.2 kg5'7" · 102.2 lbs
175 cm · 49 kg5'9" · 108.4 lbs
180 cm · 51.8 kg
≈ 52 kg · BMI 16.05		5'11" · 114.7 lbs
≈ 115 lbs · BMI 16.04
185 cm · 54.8 kg
≈ 55 kg · BMI 16.07		6'1" · 121.3 lbs
190 cm · 57.8 kg
≈ 58 kg · BMI 16.07		6'3" · 128 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
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
16.5Underweight/Moderate thinness
16.6Underweight/Moderate thinness
16.7Underweight/Moderate thinness
16.8Underweight/Moderate thinness
16.9Underweight/Moderate thinness
17Underweight/Mild thinness
17.1Underweight/Mild thinness
17.2Underweight/Mild thinness
17.3Underweight/Mild thinness
17.4Underweight/Mild thinness

FAQ

BMI of 16 — is it good or bad?

BMI 16 for Males and Females means Underweight/Moderate thinness

Is BMI of 16 dangerous?

BMI of 16 falls into the "Underweight/Moderate 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 16?

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 16 means about 101.9 lb (46.2 kg). A taller person reaches the same BMI at a proportionally higher weight.

Does a BMI of 16 mean the same for men and women?

Yes — the WHO adult scale has no separate cut-offs by sex, so a BMI of 16 reads as "Underweight/Moderate 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