Is 120 lbs overweight for 5'6"?

No — 120 lbs is within the healthy range for 5'6".

At 120 lbs (54.4 kg) and 5'6" (167.6 cm), the BMI is 19.4 — normal weight.

For an adult who is 167.6 cm tall, the World Health Organization considers a weight between 115 and 154 kg to be healthy.

Your BMI of 19.4 sits in the normal weight band. Cutoffs: 18.5, 25, 30, 35 (WHO).

Reviewed by the SnapBMI editorial team. Last updated: 2026-08-12.

What the numbers mean for you

You have 35 lbs (15.8 kg) of headroom before crossing into overweight (BMI 25 = 155 lbs (70.2 kg)).

The arithmetic midpoint of the healthy band at this height is BMI 21.7 (134 lbs (61.0 kg)). 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 this means

This range corresponds to the lowest statistical risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome in long-term cohort studies.

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 84 cm (33") at 167.6 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).

Precise ±5 lb neighbours at this height

Weight	Conversion	BMI	Category
115 lbs	52.2 kg	18.6	Normal weight
116 lbs	52.6 kg	18.7	Normal weight
117 lbs	53.1 kg	18.9	Normal weight
118 lbs	53.5 kg	19.0	Normal weight
119 lbs	54 kg	19.2	Normal weight
120 lbs ← this page	54.4 kg	19.4	Normal weight
121 lbs	54.9 kg	19.5	Normal weight
122 lbs	55.3 kg	19.7	Normal weight
123 lbs	55.8 kg	19.9	Normal weight
124 lbs	56.2 kg	20.0	Normal weight
125 lbs	56.7 kg	20.2	Normal weight

Practical next steps

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

Frequently asked questions