Is 220 lbs overweight for 5'11"?

Yes — 220 lbs is 41 lbs above the healthy upper limit for 5'11".

At 220 lbs (99.8 kg) and 5'11" (180.3 cm), the BMI is 30.7 — obese class i.

Adults at 180.3 cm typically fall within a healthy weight band of 133–179 kg using the WHO BMI thresholds.

BMI scale WHO BMI categories from 14 to 42 with a marker at 30.7. Under Normal Over Ob I Ob II+ BMI 30.7 14 42
Your BMI of 30.7 sits in the obese class i band. Cutoffs: 18.5, 25, 30, 35 (WHO).

Reviewed by the SnapBMI editorial team. Last updated: .

What the numbers mean for you

You are 41 lbs (18.5 kg) above the healthy upper limit and 5 lbs (2.3 kg) above the obesity threshold.

A first, clinically meaningful goal is a 10% reduction — about 22 lbs (10.0 kg), achievable in roughly 22 weeks at a 500 kcal daily deficit. This alone typically improves blood pressure, HbA1c, and lipid profile.

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

What this means

Modern guidelines (NICE, WHO) now treat obesity as a chronic disease with multiple effective treatment pathways, including structured lifestyle programmes, medication, and surgery.

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 90 cm (35") at 180.3 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
215 lbs97.5 kg30.0Obese Class I
216 lbs98 kg30.1Obese Class I
217 lbs98.4 kg30.3Obese Class I
218 lbs98.9 kg30.4Obese Class I
219 lbs99.3 kg30.5Obese Class I
220 lbs ← this page99.8 kg30.7Obese Class I
221 lbs100.2 kg30.8Obese Class I
222 lbs100.7 kg31.0Obese Class I
223 lbs101.2 kg31.1Obese Class I
224 lbs101.6 kg31.3Obese Class I
225 lbs102.1 kg31.4Obese Class I

Practical next steps

  1. Guidance favours a multidisciplinary approach: GP, dietitian and, where appropriate, behavioural support.
  2. Low-impact movement such as walking, swimming or cycling is the usual starting point for joint protection.
  3. Sleep apnoea is a condition commonly screened for at this BMI where snoring or daytime fatigue is present.
  4. Energy, mobility and blood pressure are the non-scale markers clinicians track alongside weight.

Frequently asked questions

Is 220 lbs overweight for 5'11"?

220 lbs at 5'11" gives a BMI of 30.7, which is obese class i. The healthy range for 5'11" is 133–179 lbs.

What is the healthy weight for 5'11"?

133–179 lbs.

Related calculations

Sources & references