BMI for Indians: why the cut-offs are 23 and 25

If you have checked your BMI on a random website, it probably told you that 24 is “normal”. For an Indian adult, that same number is already in the overweight range. This is not a mistake. It reflects real differences in how Indians store fat and how early we develop diabetes and heart disease. You can calculate your own number with the BMI calculator for Indians.

What is BMI?

Body mass index (BMI) compares your weight with your height. It is your weight in kilograms divided by your height in metres, squared. For example, a person who is 1.6 metres tall and weighs 64 kg has a BMI of 25.

BMI is popular because it is quick, free and needs only a weighing scale and a measuring tape. It works well to spot risk across a population. For an individual, it is a starting point, not a diagnosis.

What are the BMI cut-offs for Indians?

Indian consensus guidance, published in 2009 and widely used since, recommends these categories for adults:

BMI	Category for Indian adults
Below 18.5	Underweight
18.5 to 22.9	Normal
23 to 24.9	Overweight
25 or more	Obesity

By comparison, the World Health Organization’s general cut-offs, used in Western countries, place overweight at 25 and obesity at 30.

Why are the Indian cut-offs lower?

In 2004, a WHO expert group reviewed data from Asian populations and found that, at the same BMI, many Asians had more body fat and higher risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease than Europeans. Indian studies have shown the same.

Several reasons combine:

• More body fat at the same weight. Indians tend to have less muscle and more fat.
• More belly fat. Indians often store fat around the organs and the liver, even when they do not look overweight. This visceral fat drives insulin resistance.
• Earlier disease. Diabetes, fatty liver and heart attacks appear at younger ages and lower weights in India.

The large ICMR-INDIAB national survey found that obesity, and especially abdominal obesity, is common across both urban and rural India.

What are the limits of BMI?

BMI cannot see what your weight is made of:

• Muscle versus fat. A very muscular person can have a high BMI without excess fat.
• Where fat sits. Two people with the same BMI may have very different amounts of belly fat.
• Age. Older people lose muscle, so a “normal” BMI may hide extra fat.
• Children and pregnancy. Adult cut-offs do not apply to children and teenagers, who are assessed on growth charts, or to pregnant women.

This is why doctors add waist size and waist-to-height ratio. Read waist size and health risk or use the waist-to-height ratio tool. The Body Roundness Index is another shape-based measure.

Is BMI still used to diagnose obesity?

Newer frameworks, including the 2025 Lancet commission and a 2025 revised Indian definition, say BMI alone should not be used to diagnose obesity in an individual. They suggest combining it with waist measures or direct fat measurement, and looking at whether excess fat is affecting health. Read more in what is obesity.

BMI does still matter in practice. Indian guidelines use BMI thresholds, along with other health conditions, when deciding who may benefit from weight-loss medicines or surgery.

My BMI is high. What should I do next?

Do not panic, and do not crash-diet. A sensible next step is to:

• measure your waist
• get basic tests your doctor suggests, such as fasting sugar or HbA1c, cholesterol, liver tests and blood pressure
• talk to your doctor about a realistic plan for food, activity and sleep

Even a modest weight loss of 5 to 10 percent improves many health markers.

What should you ask your doctor?

• Is my BMI high because of fat or muscle?
• What is my waist size, and is it in the healthy range?
• Which tests should I have for diabetes, fatty liver and heart risk?
• What is a realistic target for me?

An endocrinologist can help when weight is affecting your health. Book a consultation.