Is 150 lbs overweight for a man at 5'7"?

No — 150 lbs is within the healthy range for 5'7" (for a man).

At 150 lbs (68 kg) and 5'7" (170.2 cm) for a man, the BMI is 23.5normal weight.

For an adult who is 170.2 cm tall, the World Health Organization considers a weight between 118 and 159 kg to be healthy.

BMI scale WHO BMI categories from 14 to 42 with a marker at 23.5. Under Normal Over Ob I Ob II+ BMI 23.5 14 42
Your BMI of 23.5 sits in the normal weight band. Cutoffs: 18.5, 25, 30, 35 (WHO).

What the numbers mean for you

You have 10 lbs (4.4 kg) of headroom before crossing into overweight (BMI 25 = 160 lbs (72.4 kg)).

Your BMI band midpoint is BMI 21.7 (139 lbs (62.9 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 85 cm (34") at 170.2 cm.
  • Absolute cutoff for men: waist under 94 cm (37") is associated with meaningfully lower risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
  • Higher-risk zone: waist above 102 cm (40") — this is where risk climbs sharply regardless of BMI.

For men at 5'7"

BMI uses the same formula for both sexes, but health interpretation differs. Men typically carry a lower percentage of body fat at the same BMI than women. A waist circumference under 40 inches (102 cm) lowers cardiometabolic risk independent of BMI.

Precise ±5 lb neighbours at this height

WeightConversionBMICategory
145 lbs65.8 kg22.7Normal weight
146 lbs66.2 kg22.9Normal weight
147 lbs66.7 kg23.0Normal weight
148 lbs67.1 kg23.2Normal weight
149 lbs67.6 kg23.3Normal weight
150 lbs ← this page68 kg23.5Normal weight
151 lbs68.5 kg23.6Normal weight
152 lbs68.9 kg23.8Normal weight
153 lbs69.4 kg24.0Normal weight
154 lbs69.9 kg24.1Normal weight
155 lbs70.3 kg24.3Normal weight

Practical next steps

  1. Maintain at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per week.
  2. Include two strength sessions to preserve lean mass with age.
  3. Monitor waist circumference yearly — under 94 cm (men) / 80 cm (women).
  4. Get a routine metabolic panel every 1–2 years.

Frequently asked questions

Is 150 lbs overweight for a man at 5'7"?

150 lbs at 5'7" gives a BMI of 23.5, which is normal weight. The healthy range for 5'7" is 118–159 lbs.

What is the healthy weight for 5'7"?

118–159 lbs.

What waist size is healthy for a man at 5'7"?

Under 40 inches (102 cm) is associated with lower cardiometabolic risk.

Sources & references