What's your BMI?

Body Mass Index (BMI) is a good way to check if you're a healthy weight. Use our healthy weight calculator to find out your BMI, and get helpful information and advice.

For adults, BMI is a measure of whether you're a healthy weight for your height.

For children aged two and over, BMI centile is used. This is a measure of whether the child is a healthy weight for their height, age and sex.

If you have a BMI above the healthy range you are at raised risk of the serious health problems linked to being overweight, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers. In children, BMI centile indicates whether the child is a healthy weight.

You can go straight to information on:

• BMI for adults
• BMI for children

Who can use BMI and BMI centile?

BMI is the best assessment of weight in adults, and BMI centile is the best assessment for children aged two and over.

Some adults who have a lot of muscle may have a BMI above the healthy range. For example, professional rugby players can have an 'obese' BMI result despite having very little body fat. However, this will not apply to most people.

BMI for adults

BMI takes into account that people come in different shapes and sizes. That's why a range of BMIs is considered healthy for an adult of any given height. 

A BMI above the healthy range indicates that you're heavier than is healthy for your height.

The ranges below only apply to adults. BMI results are interpreted differently for children.

• BMI below 18.5: a score this low means that you may be underweight. There are a number of possible reasons for this. Your GP can help you find out more, and achieve a healthy weight.You can learn more by reading Nutrition for underweight adults.
• BMI between 18.5-24.9: this is a healthy range. It shows that you're a healthy weight for your height. However, it's still important to eat a healthy, balanced diet and include physical activity in your daily life if you want to maintain a healthy weight.
• BMI score of 25 or more: your BMI is above the ideal range and this score means you may be overweight. This means that you're heavier than is healthy for someone of your height. Excess weight can put you at increased risk of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes. It’s time to take action. See the section below for the next step, and learn more in our Lose weight section. 
• BMI of 30 or more: a BMI above 30 is classified as obese. Being obese puts you at a raised risk of health problems such as heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes. Losing weight will bring significant health improvements, and your GP can help. See the section below and learn more inLose weight. 

Ethnicity, BMI and diabetes risk

New BMI advice was issued in July 2013 by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to south Asian and Chinese adults, who have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes than white populations. These groups are advised to maintain a BMI lower than the standard 25.

The advice is: 

• BMI of 23: Asians with a BMI score of 23 or more are at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. 
• BMI of 27.5: Asians with a BMI of 27.5 or more are at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes. 

Although the evidence is less clear-cut, black people and other minority groups are also advised to maintain a BMI below 25 to reduce their risk of type 2 diabetes.

If you're overweight

If your BMI shows that you're overweight or obese it's time to take action. There’s lots of information, advice and support on NHS Choices that can help you.

• Lose weight has information and advice on achieving a healthy weight
• Food and diet contains information and advice on healthy eating
• Health and fitness is full of fun and practical ideas to help you get into shape

Your GP or practice nurse can also offer advice on lifestyle changes, and may refer you to a weight loss group or discuss other treatments. Find out more in How your GP can help.

They may also measure your waist circumference. This can provide further information on your risk of certain health conditions, such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease. You can learn more by reading Why body shape matters.

Why lose weight?

For adults who are overweight or obese, losing even a little excess weight has health benefits. You’ll lower your risk of serious health problems such as heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.

Weight loss can also improve back and joint pain. Most people feel better when they lose excess weight.

The key is to make small, long-lasting changes to your lifestyle. If you are overweight or obese, changing your lifestyle so that you eat fewer calories can help you to become a healthier weight. Combining these changes with increased physical activity is the best approach.

To start with, you can cut down on excess calories by swapping high-calorie meals and snacks for healthier alternatives. Read Healthy food swaps to learn more.

Physical activity is an important part of losing weight, as long as it is combined with eating fewer calories. The amount of physical activity that is recommended depends on your age. Adults aged between 19 and 64 should get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity – such as fast walking or cycling – a week. Adults who are overweight are likely to need to do more than this to lose weight. If it's been a while since you've done any activity you should aim to build up to this recommendation gradually. Find out more in Benefits of exercise.

For more ideas on how to get you and your family active, visitChange4Life.

Height and weight chart

You can also use the height and weight chart to check if you're a healthy weight for your height. The chart is only suitable for adult men and women.

BMI for children

BMI results are interpreted differently for children.

When interpreting BMI for a child, health professionals look at a child's weight in relation to their height, age and sex. The result is called the child’s BMI centile. BMI centile is a good way of telling whether a child is a healthy weight, and is used by healthcare professionals.

Using your child’s BMI centile, a healthcare professional can tell whether they're growing as expected. You may have done something similar when your child was a baby, using the growth charts in the Personal Child Health Record.

Once your child’s BMI centile has been calculated, they will be in one of four categories:

• underweight: below 2nd BMI centile
• healthy weight: between the 2nd and 90th BMI centile
• overweight: between 91st and to 97th BMI centile
• obese: at or above 98th BMI centile. This BMI centile category is called 'very overweight' in letters that are sent by the National Child Measurement Programme.

Most children should fall in the healthy weight range. A BMI at or above the 91st centile is likely to indicate your child has an increased risk of obesity-related health problems.

Some medical conditions or treatments may mean that BMI centile is not the best way to measure whether your child is a healthy weight. Your GP or other health professional can discuss this with you.

If your child is overweight

Research shows that children who are overweight or obese have a higher risk of ill health during childhood and in later life. If your child is overweight, it’s time to take action.

A GP or practice nurse can give advice and support on helping your child achieve a healthy weight as they grow. Find out more in When your child is overweight.

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12 tips to help you loseweight on the plan

Get off to the best possible start on the NHS Choices 12-week weight loss plan with these 12 diet and exercise tips.

1. Don't skip breakfast

Research shows that eating breakfast helps you control your weight. Some people skip breakfast as they think it will help them loose weight but missing meals doesn't help us lose weight and isn't good for us because we can miss out on essential nutrients. It could also encourage us to snack more throughout the day because you feel hungry'. Check out five healthy breakfasts .

2. Eat regular meals

Some people think missing meals will help them lose weight, but it has been shown that eating regularly during the day helps to burn calories at a faster rate as well as reduce the temptation to snack on foods high in fat and sugar. Find out more about eating heathily .

3. Eat plenty of fruit and veg

Fruit and veg are low in calories and fat and high in fibre – three essential ingredients for successful weight loss. They also contain plenty of vitamins and minerals. Read up on getting your 5 A Day .

4. Get more active

Studies show that regular activity is key to losing weight and keeping it off. As well as providing numerous health benefits , exercise can help burn off the excess calories you can't cut through diet alone. Find an activity you enjoy and are able to fit into your routine .

5. Drink plenty of water

People sometimes confuse thirst with hunger. You can end up consuming extra calories when a glass of water is really what you need. You should aim to drink about six to eight glasses (1.2 litres) of fluid, preferably water, every day – or more if it's warm or you're exercising.

6. Eat high-fibre foods

Foods containing lots of fibre will keep you feeling full for longer, which is perfect for losing weight. Fibre is only found in food from plants, such as fruit and veg , oats, wholegrain bread, brown rice and pasta , beans, peas and lentils .

7. Read food labels

Knowing how to read food labels can help you choose healthier options, and keep a check on the amount of calories, fat, salt and sugars you eat. Use the calorie information to work out how a particular food fits into your daily calorie allowance on the weight loss plan. Find out more about reading food labels .

8. Use a smaller plate

Studies show that people who use smaller plates tend to eat smaller portions and still be satisfied. By eating with smaller plates and bowls, you may be able to gradually get used to eating smaller portions without going hungry. It takes about 20 minutes for the stomach to tell the brain it's full, so eat slowly and stop eating before you feel full.

9. Don't ban foods

Don't ban any foods from your weight loss plan, especially the ones you like. Banning foods will only make you crave them more. There's no reason you can't enjoy the occasional treat as long as you stay within your daily calorie allowance .

10. Don't stock junk food

To avoid temptation, avoid stocking junk food, such as chocolate, biscuits, crisps and sweet fizzy drinks, at home. Instead, stock up on healthy snacks, such as fruit, unsalted rice cakes, oat cakes, unsalted or unsweetened popcorn and fruit juice.

11. Cut down on alcohol

Did you know a standard glass of wine can contain as many calories as a piece of chocolate, and a pint of lager has about the same calorie count as a packet of crisps? Over time, drinking too much can easily contribute to weight gain. Find out more about calories in alcohol .

12. Plan your meals

Plan your breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks for the week, making sure you stick to your calorie allowance. Try to plan for four to seven days' worth of meals and snacks. Make a shopping list, but don't shop when you're hungry as that can lead to high-calorie impulse buys!

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Salt: the facts

Many of us in the UK eat too much salt. Too much salt can raise your blood pressure, which puts you at increased risk of health problems such as heart disease and stroke. But a few simple steps can help you to cut your salt intake.

You don't have to add salt to food to be eating too much – 75% of the salt we eat is already in everyday foods such as bread, breakfast cereal and ready meals.

A diet that is high in salt can cause raised blood pressure, which currently affects around one third of adults in the UK.

High blood pressure often has no symptoms. But if you have it, you are more likely to develop heart disease or have a stroke.

Cutting down on salt lowers blood pressure, which means that your risk of having a stroke or developing heart disease is reduced.

For tips on how to cut down on salt, read Tips for a lower-salt diet .

Foods that contain salt

Some foods are almost always high in salt because of the way they are made.

Other foods, such as bread and breakfast cereals, can contribute a lot of salt to our diet. But that's not because these foods are always high in salt – it's because we eat a lot of them.

High-salt foods

The following foods are almost always high in salt. To cut down on salt, eat them less often or have smaller amounts:

• anchovies
• bacon
• cheese
• gravy granules
• ham
• olives
• pickles
• prawns
• salami
• salted and dry roasted nuts
• salt fish
• smoked meat and fish
• soy sauce
• stock cubes
• yeast extract

Foods that can be high in salt

In the following foods, the salt content can vary widely between different brands or varieties. That means you can cut down on salt by comparing brands and choosing the one that is lower in salt. Nutrition labels can help you do this.

These foods include:

• bread products such as crumpets, bagels and ciabatta
• pasta sauces
• crisps
• pizza
• ready meals
• soup
• sandwiches
• sausages
• tomato ketchup, mayonnaise and other sauces
• breakfast cereals

How much salt for adults?

Adults should eat no more than 6g of salt a day – that's around one full teaspoon. Children should eat less (see below for recommendations for babies and children).

Of course, one easy way to eat less salt is to stop adding salt to your food during cooking and at the dinner table. If you regularly add salt to food when cooking, try cutting it out or adding less.You'll rediscover the real tastes of your favourite foods. And when you sit down to eat, taste your food first to see if it needs salt.

Use nutrition labels to check salt levels

Cutting back on added salt is only a small part of the solution. To really cut down, you need to become aware of the salt that is already in the everyday foods you buy, and choose lower-salt options.

Fortunately, nutrition labels on food packaging now make this a lot easier. Most pre-packed foods have a nutrition label on the back or side of the packaging.

Many foods also display information about the salt content on the front of the packaging. This may show the salt content as a percentage of your reference intake (RI), or have colour-coded nutrition information to show whether the food is low, medium or high in salt. Where colour-coding is used, red means high. Eat these foods as an occasional treat, and aim to eat mainly foods that are green (low) or amber (medium).

Look at the figure for salt per 100g:

• High is more than 1.5g salt per 100g (0.6g sodium). These foods may be colour-coded red.
• Low is 0.3g salt or less per 100g (or 0.1g sodium). These foods may be colour-coded green.

If the amount of salt per 100g is between 0.3g and 1.5g, that is a medium level of salt, and the packaging may be colour-coded amber.

As a rule, aim for foods that have a low or medium salt content.Leave high-salt foods for occasional use.

For more tips to help you choose foods that are lower in salt, seeA lower-salt diet .

Salt and sodium in your food

Salt is also called sodium chloride.

Sometimes, food labels only give the figure for sodium. But there is a simple way to work out how much salt you are eating from the sodium figure:

• Salt = sodium x 2.5

Babies, children and salt

Babies and children under 11 should have less salt than adults.

Babies under a year old need less than 1g of salt a day, as their kidneys can't cope with more. If a baby is breastfed, they will get the right amount of salt from breast milk. Formula milk contains a similar amount.

Don't add salt to your baby's milk or food and don't use stock cubes or gravy as they're often high in salt. Remember this when you're cooking for the family if you plan to give the same food to your baby.

Avoid giving your baby processed foods such as ready meals as these are often high in salt. However, food manufactured specifically for babies should meet the recommended levels. If in doubt, always check the label .

The daily recommended maximum amount of salt children should eat depends on age:

• 1 to 3 years – 2g salt a day (0.8g sodium)
• 4 to 6 years – 3g salt a day (1.2g sodium)
• 7 to 10 years – 5g salt a day (2g sodium)
• 11 years and over – 6g salt a day (2.4g sodium)

Making sure your child doesn't eat too much salt means you're also helping to ensure that they don't develop a taste for salty food, which makes them less likely to eat too much salt as anadult .

Scientific research into salt and health

For more information about the effects of too much salt in our diet, you can download the Scientific and Advisory Committee on Nutrition's report on salt and health (PDF, 372kb) .

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What does 100 calories look like?

Calories are a well-known measure of the amount of energy in food. Keeping track of the number of calories in our food helps us to balance the energy we put into our bodies with the energy we use every day, leading to a healthy weight.

Calories and kilocalories

The term calorie is a commonly used shorthand for 'kilocalorie'.On food packets you will find this written as kcal. Kilojoules (kJ) are the metric measurement of calories, and you'll see both kJ and kcal on nutrition labels – 4.2kJ is equivalent to approximately 1kcal.

Energy throughout the day

Within a healthy balanced diet, women need on average 8,400kJ a day (2,000kcal), while men need on average 10,500kJ a day (2,500kcal).

A rough guide as to how your energy requirement can be spread throughout the day is as follows:

• Breakfast: 20% (a fifth of your energy intake)
• Lunch: 30% (about a third of your energy intake)
• Evening meal: 30% (about a third of your energy intake)
• Drinks and snacks: 20% (a fifth of your energy intake)

As you can see, any drinks or snacks you have count towards your daily energy total. If you eat more for your breakfast, lunch or evening meal, you may need to drop a snack later in the day to stay on track.

Comparing energy values: a visual guide

This guide shows energy values for 10 different foods. This will help you to visualise what 100kcal (420kJ) looks like and manage the number of calories you consume.

This amount, 100kcal, represents just 5% of a woman's daily reference intake (4% for men), but this quickly adds up when adding ingredients during cooking or when we reach for a snack.High-fat foods have more energy per bite, while foods containing water, such as vegetables, have less.

These are not suggestions for snacks . They simply show how quickly calories can add up in certain foods. Some of the photos also show household objects, such as a pack of cards, to help illustrate the portion size.

Calories in oil, mayonnaise and butter

Oil is pure fat, which is why you only get a little over one tablespoon of olive oil; one level tablespoon of mayonnaise and just under one tablespoon of butter (a thick spread of butter on your bread) for 420kJ / 100kcal each.

Calories in cheese

Most cheese is high in fat, so for 420kJ / 100kcal you get just under a 30g matchbox-sized piece of Cheddar cheese.

Calories in sugar

Calories in the white stuff can add up if not used sparingly, especially for people who drink tea or coffee with sugar throughout the day. Four heaped teaspoons of sugar is 420kJ / 100kcal.

Calories in biscuits

A lot of biscuits are high in fat and sugar and low in nutrients, so two ginger nut biscuits add up to 420kJ / 100kcal. Other biscuits may be higher in energy.

Calories in crisps

Crisps, which are often high in fat and salt, can quickly add up to 420kJ / 100kcal. For example, the 190g tube of crisps featured in this picture contains nearly 1,000 calories, so just 10% of a tube (nine crisps) equals 420kJ / 100kcal.

Calories in bread

A thick slice of wholegrain bread is around 100kcal and is a nutritious choice. A plain bagel is much more dense, so you'd get about half a bagel for 420kJ / 100kcal.

Calories in meat and fish

The kind of meat you eat could make a big difference to the amount of energy you get. For example, you get just a few bites of steak for 100kcal (see picture).

On the other hand, turkey and fish are both low in fat and lower in energy, so for 420kJ / 100kcal you can get three slices of turkey or a pile of large prawns.

Bear in mind, though, that this number of prawns would be high insalt so you wouldn't want to eat these all at once.

Calories in dried fruit

The calories in dried fruit can add up quickly as the water has been removed, making it more dense. For 420kJ / 100kcal you'll only get just over a 30g portion of raisins, which counts as one of your 5 A DAY.

But for the same amount of energy you could eat two larger portions of different fruits, such as 80g of grapes and 80g of cherries, which together add up to 100kcal and count as two of your 5 A DAY.

Calories in fresh fruit

Fruit is a healthy quick win when it comes to counting calories.For 420kJ / 100kcal you can tuck into any of the following: a large apple; a banana; up to a punnet of strawberries or one-and-a-half grapefruit. These count towards your 5 A DAY , which should include a variety of fruit and vegetables.

Calories in vegetables

Last but definitely not least, vegetables generally contain the lowest number of calories, while bringing the added benefits of vitamins and minerals.

To illustrate this, 420kJ / 100kcal is equal to any of the following: three whole cucumbers; two heads of lettuce or three carrots weighing around 120g each.

Check the nutrition label

Remember, this page is only intended as an illustration, as all foods vary in energy content and this can depend on how they are made or prepared and on how much you eat. Most pre-packaged foods have a nutrition label on the side or back of the packaging, which will give a guide to the energy content.

Get advice on counting calories in non-packaged foods such as loose fruit and vegetables or fresh bread.

For more information about energy values in food, seeUnderstanding calories .

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