BMI of 26 — What Does It Mean?

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What does BMI of
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BMI of 26 — is it good or bad?

Answer

BMI 26 for Males and Females means
Overweight/Pre-obese

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
26
1445
↑ BMI

1 above 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 26 at common heights

cm · kgft/in · lbs
150 cm · 58.5 kg
≈ 59 kg · BMI 26.22		4'11" · 128.7 lbs
≈ 129 lbs · BMI 26.05
155 cm · 62.5 kg
≈ 62 kg · BMI 25.81		5'1" · 137.6 lbs
≈ 138 lbs · BMI 26.07
160 cm · 66.6 kg
≈ 67 kg · BMI 26.17		5'3" · 146.8 lbs
≈ 147 lbs · BMI 26.04
165 cm · 70.8 kg
≈ 71 kg · BMI 26.08		5'5" · 156.3 lbs
≈ 156 lbs · BMI 25.96
170 cm · 75.1 kg
≈ 75 kg · BMI 25.95		5'7" · 166 lbs
175 cm · 79.6 kg
≈ 80 kg · BMI 26.12		5'9" · 176.1 lbs
≈ 176 lbs · BMI 25.99
180 cm · 84.2 kg
≈ 84 kg · BMI 25.93		5'11" · 186.4 lbs
≈ 186 lbs · BMI 25.94
185 cm · 89 kg6'1" · 197.1 lbs
≈ 197 lbs · BMI 25.99
190 cm · 93.9 kg
≈ 94 kg · BMI 26.04		6'3" · 208 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
24.5Normal/Healthy Weight
24.6Normal/Healthy Weight
24.7Normal/Healthy Weight
24.8Normal/Healthy Weight
24.9Normal/Healthy Weight
25Overweight/Pre-obese
25.1Overweight/Pre-obese
25.2Overweight/Pre-obese
25.3Overweight/Pre-obese
25.4Overweight/Pre-obese
25.5Overweight/Pre-obese
25.6Overweight/Pre-obese
25.7Overweight/Pre-obese
25.8Overweight/Pre-obese
25.9Overweight/Pre-obese
26Overweight/Pre-obese
26.1Overweight/Pre-obese
26.2Overweight/Pre-obese
26.3Overweight/Pre-obese
26.4Overweight/Pre-obese
26.5Overweight/Pre-obese
26.6Overweight/Pre-obese
26.7Overweight/Pre-obese
26.8Overweight/Pre-obese
26.9Overweight/Pre-obese
27Overweight/Pre-obese
27.1Overweight/Pre-obese
27.2Overweight/Pre-obese
27.3Overweight/Pre-obese
27.4Overweight/Pre-obese

FAQ

BMI of 26 — is it good or bad?

BMI 26 for Males and Females means Overweight/Pre-obese

Is BMI of 26 dangerous?

BMI of 26 falls into the "Overweight/Pre-obese" category. A BMI of 25 or more may indicate excess body weight. Consult a healthcare professional for personalized advice.

What weight gives a BMI of 26?

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 26 means about 165.6 lb (75.1 kg). A taller person reaches the same BMI at a proportionally higher weight.

Does a BMI of 26 mean the same for men and women?

Yes — the WHO adult scale has no separate cut-offs by sex, so a BMI of 26 reads as "Overweight/Pre-obese" 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