Is 145 lbs overweight for a woman at 5'4"?

No — 145 lbs is within the healthy range for 5'4" (for a woman).

At 145 lbs (65.8 kg) and 5'4" (162.6 cm) for a woman, the BMI is 24.9normal weight.

Public-health guidelines place the ideal weight for 162.6 cm tall adults at 108–145 kg, equivalent to a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9.

BMI scale WHO BMI categories from 14 to 42 with a marker at 24.9. Under Normal Over Ob I Ob II+ BMI 24.9 14 42
Your BMI of 24.9 sits in the normal weight band. Cutoffs: 18.5, 25, 30, 35 (WHO).

What the numbers mean for you

You have 1 lbs (0.3 kg) of headroom before crossing into overweight (BMI 25 = 146 lbs (66.1 kg)).

Your BMI band midpoint is BMI 21.7 (127 lbs (57.4 kg)), often used as the "most protective" reference in cohort studies.

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

What this means

Multi-decade studies (notably the NIH-AARP cohort of more than 500,000 adults) link this BMI band to the lowest all-cause mortality.

Waist matters more than the scale

Two people can share the same BMI and have very different metabolic risk. For that reason, waist circumference is now considered a stronger predictor of cardiometabolic disease than BMI alone.

  • Waist-to-height rule: keep your waist under half your height — that means below 81 cm (32") at 162.6 cm.
  • Absolute cutoff for women: waist under 80 cm (31.5") is associated with meaningfully lower risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
  • Higher-risk zone: waist above 88 cm (35") — this is where risk climbs sharply regardless of BMI.

For women at 5'4"

BMI uses the same formula for both sexes, but health interpretation differs. Women typically carry a higher percentage of body fat at the same BMI than men. A waist circumference under 35 inches (88 cm) lowers cardiometabolic risk independent of BMI.

Precise ±5 lb neighbours at this height

WeightConversionBMICategory
140 lbs63.5 kg24.0Normal weight
141 lbs64 kg24.2Normal weight
142 lbs64.4 kg24.4Normal weight
143 lbs64.9 kg24.5Normal weight
144 lbs65.3 kg24.7Normal weight
145 lbs ← this page65.8 kg24.9Normal weight
146 lbs66.2 kg25.0Overweight
147 lbs66.7 kg25.2Overweight
148 lbs67.1 kg25.4Overweight
149 lbs67.6 kg25.6Overweight
150 lbs68 kg25.7Overweight

Practical next steps

  1. Keep a stable routine of movement, sleep (7–9 h), and balanced meals.
  2. Add resistance training to slow age-related muscle loss.
  3. Watch the trend, not the daily fluctuation — month-over-month is what matters.
  4. Check blood pressure and cholesterol annually.

Frequently asked questions

Is 145 lbs overweight for a woman at 5'4"?

145 lbs at 5'4" gives a BMI of 24.9, which is normal weight. The healthy range for 5'4" is 108–145 lbs.

What is the healthy weight for 5'4"?

108–145 lbs.

What waist size is healthy for a woman at 5'4"?

Under 35 inches (88 cm) is associated with lower cardiometabolic risk.

Sources & references