BMI of 38 — What Does It Mean?

"BMI Meaning" Calculator
What does BMI of
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BMI of 38 — is it good or bad?

Answer

BMI 38 for Males and Females means
Obese/Class II

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
38
1445
↑ BMI

13 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 38 at common heights

cm · kgft/in · lbs
150 cm · 85.5 kg
≈ 86 kg · BMI 38.22		4'11" · 188.2 lbs
155 cm · 91.3 kg
≈ 91 kg · BMI 37.88		5'1" · 201.1 lbs
160 cm · 97.3 kg
≈ 97 kg · BMI 37.89		5'3" · 214.5 lbs
≈ 215 lbs · BMI 38.08
165 cm · 103.5 kg
≈ 103 kg · BMI 37.83		5'5" · 228.4 lbs
170 cm · 109.8 kg
≈ 110 kg · BMI 38.06		5'7" · 242.6 lbs
175 cm · 116.4 kg
≈ 116 kg · BMI 37.88		5'9" · 257.4 lbs
180 cm · 123.1 kg
≈ 123 kg · BMI 37.96		5'11" · 272.5 lbs
185 cm · 130.1 kg
≈ 130 kg · BMI 37.98		6'1" · 288.1 lbs
190 cm · 137.2 kg
≈ 137 kg · BMI 37.95		6'3" · 304.1 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
35.3Obese/Class II
35.4Obese/Class II
35.5Obese/Class II
35.6Obese/Class II
35.8Obese/Class II
35.9Obese/Class II
36Obese/Class II
36.2Obese/Class II
36.3Obese/Class II
36.4Obese/Class II
36.6Obese/Class II
36.8Obese/Class II
36.9Obese/Class II
37Obese/Class II
37.1Obese/Class II
38Obese/Class II
38.1Obese/Class II
38.5Obese/Class II
38.9Obese/Class II
39Obese/Class II
39.9Obese/Class II
40Morbid Obesity/Class III
41Morbid Obesity/Class III
41.2Morbid Obesity/Class III
41.3Morbid Obesity/Class III
41.7Morbid Obesity/Class III
42Morbid Obesity/Class III
42.5Morbid Obesity/Class III
42.7Morbid Obesity/Class III
42.8Morbid Obesity/Class III

FAQ

BMI of 38 — is it good or bad?

BMI 38 for Males and Females means Obese/Class II

Is BMI of 38 dangerous?

BMI of 38 falls into the "Obese/Class II" 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 38?

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 38 means about 242.1 lb (109.8 kg). A taller person reaches the same BMI at a proportionally higher weight.

Does a BMI of 38 mean the same for men and women?

Yes — the WHO adult scale has no separate cut-offs by sex, so a BMI of 38 reads as "Obese/Class II" 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