Is 150 lbs overweight for 5'7"?

No — 150 lbs is within the healthy range for 5'7".

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

For an adult who is 170.2 cm tall, the World Health Organization considers a weight between 119 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).

Reviewed by the SnapBMI editorial team. Last updated: .

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)).

The arithmetic midpoint of the healthy band at this height is BMI 21.7 (139 lbs (62.9 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 85 cm (33") at 170.2 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

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. Adult activity guidance is at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity per week.
  2. Two strength sessions a week is the standard recommendation for preserving lean mass with age.
  3. Waist circumference thresholds are sex-specific: 94 cm for men and 80 cm for women (WHO, 2008).
  4. Routine metabolic bloodwork is a general adult health measure, unrelated to BMI category.

Frequently asked questions

Is 150 lbs overweight for 5'7"?

150 lbs at 5'7" gives a BMI of 23.5, which is normal weight. The healthy range for 5'7" is 119–159 lbs.

What is the healthy weight for 5'7"?

119–159 lbs.

Related calculations

Sources & references