BMI of 42 — What Does It Mean?

"BMI Meaning" Calculator
What does BMI of
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BMI of 42 — is it good or bad?

Answer

BMI 42 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
42
1445
↑ BMI

17 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 42 at common heights

cm · kgft/in · lbs
150 cm · 94.5 kg
≈ 95 kg · BMI 42.22		4'11" · 208 lbs
155 cm · 100.9 kg5'1" · 222.3 lbs
160 cm · 107.5 kg
≈ 108 kg · BMI 42.19		5'3" · 237.1 lbs
≈ 237 lbs · BMI 41.98
165 cm · 114.3 kg
≈ 114 kg · BMI 41.87		5'5" · 252.4 lbs
170 cm · 121.4 kg5'7" · 268.2 lbs
175 cm · 128.6 kg
≈ 129 kg · BMI 42.12		5'9" · 284.4 lbs
180 cm · 136.1 kg
≈ 136 kg · BMI 41.98		5'11" · 301.2 lbs
185 cm · 143.7 kg6'1" · 318.4 lbs
190 cm · 151.6 kg6'3" · 336.1 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
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
44Morbid Obesity/Class III
44.3Morbid Obesity/Class III
44.4Morbid Obesity/Class III
45Morbid Obesity/Class III
45.7Morbid Obesity/Class III

FAQ

BMI of 42 — is it good or bad?

BMI 42 for Males and Females means Morbid Obesity/Class III

Is BMI of 42 dangerous?

BMI of 42 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 42?

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 42 means about 267.6 lb (121.4 kg). A taller person reaches the same BMI at a proportionally higher weight.

Does a BMI of 42 mean the same for men and women?

Yes — the WHO adult scale has no separate cut-offs by sex, so a BMI of 42 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