BMI of 40 — What Does It Mean?

"BMI Meaning" Calculator
What does BMI of
mean

BMI of 40 — is it good or bad?

Answer

BMI 40 for Males and Females means
Morbid Obesity/Class III

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
40
1445
↑ BMI
UnderOver

15 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 40 at common heights

cm · kgft/in · lbs
150 cm · 90 kg4'11" · 198.1 lbs
155 cm · 96.1 kg5'1" · 211.7 lbs
160 cm · 102.4 kg5'3" · 225.8 lbs
165 cm · 108.9 kg
≈ 109 kg · BMI 40.04		5'5" · 240.4 lbs
170 cm · 115.6 kg
≈ 116 kg · BMI 40.14		5'7" · 255.4 lbs
175 cm · 122.5 kg
≈ 123 kg · BMI 40.16		5'9" · 270.9 lbs
180 cm · 129.6 kg
≈ 130 kg · BMI 40.12		5'11" · 286.8 lbs
185 cm · 136.9 kg
≈ 137 kg · BMI 40.03		6'1" · 303.2 lbs
190 cm · 144.4 kg6'3" · 320.1 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
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
42.9Morbid Obesity/Class III
43Morbid Obesity/Class III
43.1Morbid Obesity/Class III
43.3Morbid Obesity/Class III
43.7Morbid Obesity/Class III
43.8Morbid Obesity/Class III

FAQ

BMI of 40 — is it good or bad?

BMI 40 for Males and Females means Morbid Obesity/Class III

Is BMI of 40 dangerous?

BMI of 40 falls into the "Morbid Obesity/Class III" 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 40?

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 40 means about 254.9 lb (115.6 kg). A taller person reaches the same BMI at a proportionally higher weight.

Does a BMI of 40 mean the same for men and women?

Yes — the WHO adult scale has no separate cut-offs by sex, so a BMI of 40 reads as "Morbid Obesity/Class III" 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