The BMI values of 18.5 to 24.9 as normal, less than 18.5 underweight, 25 to 29 overweight and above 29 as obese apply equally to men as well as women. BMI or body mass index is merely an indicator of how much fat you have in a certain amount of height. Since BMI is a function of height and weight in relation to each other, what gender you belong to has little significance. There is no ideal range of BMI for a class of adult males any more than there is for adult females.

Asking whether there is an ideal BMI for women is the same as asking whether there is an ideal BMI for men.

These indicates that there is no ideal BMI range for a gender category or even particularly for age ranges. Of late, there has been a consensus in the medical fraternity that the BMI cut off for Asian populations should be 23 since these populations have been found to be more vulnerable to diabetes. All you need here is common sense to know that if a person with a height of 4 feet has a BMI equal to that of a 6-feet individual, the shorter person’s BMI is clearly not ideal. These figures apply across the board irrespective of ages as well. Anything above 30 is categorised as obese.

Broadly speaking, irrespective of whether you are male or female, a BMI in the range of 18.5 to 24.9 is considered normal.

The ideal BMI varies from person to person depending not only on height and weight but other factors too.

Body mass index is thus basically an indicator of how much fat one’s body has depending on that person’s height and weight. Knowing what your BMI or body mass index is a good way to find out whether you are obese or underweight.

If you are feeling sluggish or lacking energy, chances are that you have too much fat for your height and weight or comparatively less fat than what is recommended. Being overweight can lead to a host of health problems.

Teen body mass index calculator