How Much Body Fat Do I have?

Body mass index (BMI) is a measure of your weight relative to your height.

For all men and women 20 years old and older, the BMI measurement is classified into one of four main weight categories:

• Below 18.5: Underweight
• 18.5 – 24.9: Healthy Weight
• 25.0 – 29.9: Overweight
• 30.0 and above: Obesity

BMI is calculated differently for kids. For children and teens under age 20, BMI is a percentile ranking that compares children of the same age and sex. This is because a child’s body fat makeup differs between boys and girls and changes often as they grow. There are four percentile rankings:

• Less than 5th percentile: Underweight
• 5th percentile to less than 85th percentile: Healthy weight
• 85th percentile to less than 95th percentile: Overweight
• Equal to or greater than the 95th percentile: Obesity

BMI is a screening tool that can let you know if you may be at risk for weight-related health problems. But because it doesn’t directly measure fat, there are important factors to consider like where your body fat is located: Maybe the most important thing that a BMI measurement can’t tell is where you’re storing fat in your body.

Subcutaneous fat is just under your skin – it’s the fat you can see. But visceral (or abdominal) fat settles around your organs and has the greatest impact on your health. A high amount of this type of fat raises your risk for diabetes, heart disease, certain cancers, and other serious health problems.