BMI for 60 kg and 162 cm

What each BMI threshold weighs at 162 cm

The adult BMI cut-offs are the same for everyone. What changes with height is the body weight each cut-off corresponds to. At 162 cm those weights are:

Is the result different for men and women?

For adults, neither the BMI formula nor the standard BMI category thresholds change with sex, so this result is the same for a man and a woman of this height and weight. Body composition does differ on average between men and women, which is one reason BMI is a screening measure rather than a body-fat measurement. Sex-specific measures such as waist thresholds are a separate consideration and are shown further down this page.

How this page calculates the numbers

BMI = weight in kilograms ÷ height in metres squared. Here: 60 ÷ (1.62 × 1.62) = 60 ÷ 2.6244 = 22.9. The category comes from the unrounded value, so a result sitting a hundredth away from a cut-off is never rounded across it.

The weights shown for BMI 18.5, 25, 30, 35 and 40 are the same equation solved the other way round: weight = BMI × height². The thresholds themselves are unchanged — only their kilogram equivalent at 162 cm is calculated here.

Category definitions follow the World Health Organization adult classification, with waist guidance from NICE. BMI is a screening measure for adults from 18 years, not a diagnosis, and it says nothing about how much of a person's weight is muscle.

What the numbers mean for you

You have 5.6 kg (12 lbs) of headroom before crossing into overweight (BMI 25 = 65.6 kg (145 lbs)).

The arithmetic midpoint of the healthy band at this height is BMI 21.7 (56.9 kg (125 lbs)). That is a midpoint, not a target: there is no evidence that any specific point inside the healthy range is individually optimal.

Timelines assume ~7,700 kcal per kg of body fat. Real progress varies with muscle mass, adherence, and medications.

What does a BMI of 22.9 mean?

Within this range, body composition matters more than the exact number — muscle mass and waist circumference become the better health signals.

BMI is a screening tool, not a diagnosis. Two people at 60 kg and 162 cm can have very different body compositions and very different health profiles. Use BMI alongside waist circumference, fitness level, and routine bloodwork.

Waist adds information BMI cannot

Two people can share the same BMI and carry very different amounts of abdominal fat. Waist circumference captures that difference, which is why clinical guidance (NICE CG189, WHO 2008) recommends reading it alongside BMI rather than instead of it.

• Waist-to-height rule: guidance suggests keeping waist below half your height — below 81 cm (32") at 162 cm.
• Sex-specific thresholds: increased risk from 94 cm (37") for men and 80 cm (31.5") for women; substantially increased risk from 102 cm (40") and 88 cm (34.6") respectively. There is no unisex waist threshold.
• What it does not do: waist is another screening measurement. It does not diagnose anything. These waist cut-offs were derived mainly from European-origin populations. WHO notes that equivalent risk occurs at lower waist values in South Asian, Chinese, Japanese and other Asian populations, so they are population-specific rather than universal. The waist-to-height rule above is the more portable check (NICE NG246, for adults with a BMI below 35).

Healthy weight range for 162 cm

The BMI-based healthy weight range for 162 cm tall adults is 48.6–65.6 kg (107–145 lbs).

Precise ±5 kg neighbours at this height

Practical next steps

1. This BMI band is the one associated with the lowest all-cause mortality in large cohort studies.
2. Protein intake around 0.8–1 g per kg is the commonly cited maintenance figure for adults.
3. Waist circumference often changes before scale weight does as people age.
4. A healthy BMI does not rule out raised blood pressure, glucose or lipids; those need measuring separately.

Frequently asked questions