Is 160 lbs overweight for a man at 5'7"?

Yes — 160 lbs is 1 lbs above the healthy upper limit for 5'7" (for a man).

At 160 lbs (72.6 kg) and 5'7" (170.2 cm) for a man, the BMI is 25.1 — overweight.

At 170.2 cm, the BMI-based healthy weight range spans 118 kg to 159 kg, with the midpoint considered the most statistically protective.

Your BMI of 25.1 sits in the overweight band. Cutoffs: 18.5, 25, 30, 35 (WHO).

Reviewed by the SnapBMI editorial team. Last updated: 2026-07-23.

What the numbers mean for you

You are 0 lbs (0.2 kg) above the healthy upper limit (BMI 25 = 160 lbs (72.4 kg)). At a modest 500 kcal daily deficit (~0.45 kg/week), reaching the healthy range takes about 1 weeks.

You have 32 lbs (14.3 kg) of buffer before crossing into the obese range (BMI 30 = 192 lbs (86.9 kg)). A 5–10% weight reduction (8 lbs (3.6 kg) to 16 lbs (7.3 kg)) is clinically meaningful even without reaching a "normal" BMI.

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

What this means

At this BMI level, fitness and waist circumference are arguably more predictive of metabolic health than the BMI number itself.

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

Weight	Conversion	BMI	Category
155 lbs	70.3 kg	24.3	Normal weight
156 lbs	70.8 kg	24.4	Normal weight
157 lbs	71.2 kg	24.6	Normal weight
158 lbs	71.7 kg	24.8	Normal weight
159 lbs	72.1 kg	24.9	Normal weight
160 lbs ← this page	72.6 kg	25.1	Overweight
161 lbs	73 kg	25.2	Overweight
162 lbs	73.5 kg	25.4	Overweight
163 lbs	73.9 kg	25.5	Overweight
164 lbs	74.4 kg	25.7	Overweight
165 lbs	74.8 kg	25.8	Overweight

Practical next steps

Focus on consistency over intensity — small daily wins beat aggressive short-term plans.
Track food intake for 1–2 weeks to identify high-calorie patterns.
Add strength training to protect lean mass during weight loss.
Re-measure waist every month; expect change there before scale weight.

Frequently asked questions