BMI of 21 — What Does It Mean?

"BMI Meaning" Calculator

BMI of 21 — is it good or bad?

Answer

BMI 21 for Males and Females means

Normal/Healthy Weight

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

1445

↑ BMI

WHO BMI categories (adults)

BMI	Weight Category
BMI < 16	Underweight/Severe thinness
16 ≤ BMI < 17	Underweight/Moderate thinness
17 ≤ BMI < 18.5	Underweight/Mild thinness
18.5 ≤ BMI < 25	Normal/Healthy Weight
25 ≤ BMI < 30	Overweight/Pre-obese
30 ≤ BMI < 35	Obese/Class I
35 ≤ BMI < 40	Obese/Class II
BMI ≥ 40	Morbid 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 21 at common heights

cm · kg	ft/in · lbs
150 cm · 47.3 kg ≈ 47 kg · BMI 20.89	4'11" · 104 lbs
155 cm · 50.5 kg ≈ 50 kg · BMI 20.81	5'1" · 111.2 lbs ≈ 111 lbs · BMI 20.97
160 cm · 53.8 kg ≈ 54 kg · BMI 21.09	5'3" · 118.6 lbs ≈ 119 lbs · BMI 21.08
165 cm · 57.2 kg ≈ 57 kg · BMI 20.94	5'5" · 126.2 lbs ≈ 126 lbs · BMI 20.97
170 cm · 60.7 kg ≈ 61 kg · BMI 21.11	5'7" · 134.1 lbs ≈ 134 lbs · BMI 20.99
175 cm · 64.3 kg ≈ 64 kg · BMI 20.9	5'9" · 142.2 lbs ≈ 142 lbs · BMI 20.97
180 cm · 68 kg	5'11" · 150.6 lbs
185 cm · 71.9 kg ≈ 72 kg · BMI 21.04	6'1" · 159.2 lbs
190 cm · 75.8 kg ≈ 76 kg · BMI 21.05	6'3" · 168 lbs

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

BMI Table

BMI	Category
19.5	Normal/Healthy Weight
19.6	Normal/Healthy Weight
19.7	Normal/Healthy Weight
19.8	Normal/Healthy Weight
19.9	Normal/Healthy Weight
20	Normal/Healthy Weight
20.1	Normal/Healthy Weight
20.2	Normal/Healthy Weight
20.3	Normal/Healthy Weight
20.4	Normal/Healthy Weight
20.5	Normal/Healthy Weight
20.6	Normal/Healthy Weight
20.7	Normal/Healthy Weight
20.8	Normal/Healthy Weight
20.9	Normal/Healthy Weight
21	Normal/Healthy Weight
21.1	Normal/Healthy Weight
21.2	Normal/Healthy Weight
21.3	Normal/Healthy Weight
21.4	Normal/Healthy Weight
21.5	Normal/Healthy Weight
21.6	Normal/Healthy Weight
21.7	Normal/Healthy Weight
21.8	Normal/Healthy Weight
21.9	Normal/Healthy Weight
22	Normal/Healthy Weight
22.1	Normal/Healthy Weight
22.2	Normal/Healthy Weight
22.3	Normal/Healthy Weight
22.4	Normal/Healthy Weight

FAQ

BMI of 21 — is it good or bad?

BMI 21 for Males and Females means Normal/Healthy Weight

Is BMI of 21 in the healthy range?

Yes, BMI of 21 falls into the "Normal/Healthy Weight" category. The healthy BMI range is 18.5 ≤ BMI < 25.

What weight gives a BMI of 21?

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 21 means about 133.8 lb (60.7 kg). A taller person reaches the same BMI at a proportionally higher weight.

Does a BMI of 21 mean the same for men and women?

Yes — the WHO adult scale has no separate cut-offs by sex, so a BMI of 21 reads as "Normal/Healthy Weight" 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.

BMI of 21 — What Does It Mean?

BMI of 21 — is it good or bad?

WHO BMI categories (adults)

BMI 21 at common heights

See Also

BMI Table

FAQ

BMI of 21 — is it good or bad?

Is BMI of 21 in the healthy range?

What weight gives a BMI of 21?

Does a BMI of 21 mean the same for men and women?

See Also