BMI of 18 — What Does It Mean?

"BMI Meaning" Calculator
What does BMI of
mean

BMI of 18 — is it good or bad?

Answer

BMI 18 for Males and Females means
Underweight/Mild thinness
BMI 18 is 0.5 points less than Healthy BMI Range starts (18.5 - 24.9)
Note: BMI is a general screening tool and does not diagnose body fatness or health. Consult a healthcare professional for a personal assessment. The scale is for adults; children and teenagers up to 19 are read against a WHO reference for their age and sex.
16
17
18.5
25
30
35
40
18
BMI 18 on the Body Mass Index Scale

BMI 18: Corresponding Weight and Height

BMIHeight and Weight (cm/kg)Height and Weight (ft/in/lbs)
18155 cm ≈43 kg≈5'1" ≈95 lbs
18156 cm ≈44 kg≈5'1" ≈95 lbs
18157 cm ≈44 kg≈5'2" ≈98 lbs
18158 cm ≈45 kg≈5'2" ≈98 lbs
18159 cm ≈46 kg≈5'3" ≈102 lbs
18160 cm ≈46 kg≈5'3" ≈102 lbs
18161 cm ≈47 kg≈5'3" ≈102 lbs
18162 cm ≈47 kg≈5'4" ≈105 lbs
18163 cm ≈48 kg≈5'4" ≈105 lbs
18164 cm ≈48 kg≈5'5" ≈108 lbs
18165 cm ≈49 kg≈5'5" ≈108 lbs
18166 cm ≈50 kg≈5'5" ≈108 lbs
18167 cm ≈50 kg≈5'6" ≈112 lbs
18168 cm ≈51 kg≈5'6" ≈112 lbs
18169 cm ≈51 kg≈5'7" ≈115 lbs
18170 cm ≈52 kg≈5'7" ≈115 lbs
18171 cm ≈53 kg≈5'7" ≈115 lbs
18172 cm ≈53 kg≈5'8" ≈118 lbs
18173 cm ≈54 kg≈5'8" ≈118 lbs
18174 cm ≈54 kg≈5'9" ≈122 lbs
18175 cm ≈55 kg≈5'9" ≈122 lbs
18176 cm ≈56 kg≈5'9" ≈122 lbs
18177 cm ≈56 kg≈5'10" ≈125 lbs
18178 cm ≈57 kg≈5'10" ≈125 lbs
18179 cm ≈58 kg≈5'10" ≈125 lbs
18180 cm ≈58 kg≈5'11" ≈129 lbs
18181 cm ≈59 kg≈5'11" ≈129 lbs
18182 cm ≈60 kg≈6' ≈133 lbs
18183 cm ≈60 kg≈6' ≈133 lbs
18184 cm ≈61 kg≈6' ≈133 lbs
18185 cm ≈62 kg≈6'1" ≈136 lbs

BMI Table

For adults aged 18 and over, BMI values are grouped* into the following weight status categories:

BMIWeight Category
< 16Underweight/Severe thinness
16 - 16.9Underweight/Moderate thinness
17 - 18.4Underweight/Mild thinness
18.5 - 24.9Normal/Healthy Weight
25 - 29.9Overweight/Pre-obese
30 - 34.9Obese/Class I
35 - 39.9Obese/Class II
≥ 40Morbid Obesity/Class III

*according to The World Health Organization (WHO)

Related Calculations

See Also

About "BMI Meaning" Calculator

This calculator will help you to find out what the given BMI means. For example, it can help you find out BMI of 18 — is it good or bad? (The answer is: Underweight/Mild thinness). Enter Body Mass Index (e.g. 18) and hit the 'Find out' button.
Recalculate with different values ↑

BMI Table

BMICategory
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
18.5Normal/Healthy Weight
18.6Normal/Healthy Weight
18.7Normal/Healthy Weight
18.8Normal/Healthy Weight
18.9Normal/Healthy Weight
19Normal/Healthy Weight
19.1Normal/Healthy Weight
19.2Normal/Healthy Weight
19.3Normal/Healthy Weight
19.4Normal/Healthy Weight

FAQ

BMI of 18 — is it good or bad?

BMI 18 for Males and Females means Underweight/Mild thinness

Is BMI of 18 dangerous?

BMI of 18 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 18?

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 18 means about 114.6 lb (52 kg). A taller person reaches the same BMI at a proportionally higher weight.

Does a BMI of 18 mean the same for men and women?

Yes — the WHO adult scale has no separate cut-offs by sex, so a BMI of 18 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