BMI of 17 — What Does It Mean?

"BMI Meaning" Calculator
What does BMI of
mean

BMI of 17 — is it good or bad?

Answer

BMI 17 for Males and Females means
Underweight/Mild 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
17
1445
↑ BMI

1.5 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 17 at common heights

cm · kgft/in · lbs
150 cm · 38.3 kg4'11" · 84.2 lbs
155 cm · 40.8 kg
≈ 41 kg · BMI 17.07		5'1" · 90 lbs
160 cm · 43.5 kg
≈ 44 kg · BMI 17.19		5'3" · 96 lbs
165 cm · 46.3 kg5'5" · 102.2 lbs
170 cm · 49.1 kg5'7" · 108.6 lbs
≈ 109 lbs · BMI 17.07
175 cm · 52.1 kg5'9" · 115.1 lbs
180 cm · 55.1 kg5'11" · 121.9 lbs
185 cm · 58.2 kg6'1" · 128.9 lbs
190 cm · 61.4 kg6'3" · 136 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
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
17.5Underweight/Mild thinness
17.6Underweight/Mild thinness
17.7Underweight/Mild thinness
17.8Underweight/Mild thinness
17.9Underweight/Mild thinness
18Underweight/Mild thinness
18.1Underweight/Mild thinness
18.2Underweight/Mild thinness
18.3Underweight/Mild thinness
18.4Underweight/Mild thinness

FAQ

BMI of 17 — is it good or bad?

BMI 17 for Males and Females means Underweight/Mild thinness

Is BMI of 17 dangerous?

BMI of 17 falls into the "Underweight/Mild 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 17?

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 17 means about 108.2 lb (49.1 kg). A taller person reaches the same BMI at a proportionally higher weight.

Does a BMI of 17 mean the same for men and women?

Yes — the WHO adult scale has no separate cut-offs by sex, so a BMI of 17 reads as "Underweight/Mild 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