BMI Calculation Result
For a person who is 5 feet 2 inches tall (1.57 meters) and weighs 54 kilograms, the BMI is 21.9 kg/m², which falls in the normal weight range.
Calculation Method
BMI is calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared 1, 2.
Step-by-step calculation:
- Height: 5'2" = 62 inches = 1.5748 meters (approximately 1.57 m)
- Weight: 54 kg
- BMI = 54 ÷ (1.57)² = 54 ÷ 2.4649 = 21.9 kg/m²
BMI Classification
According to World Health Organization criteria used in clinical practice 1:
- Normal weight: BMI 18.5-24.99
- Overweight: BMI 25-29.99
- Class I obesity: BMI 30-34.99
- Class II obesity: BMI 35-39.99
- Class III obesity: BMI ≥40
This individual's BMI of 21.9 places them squarely in the normal weight category, associated with the lowest morbidity and mortality risk 1, 2.
Clinical Context
This BMI value is particularly noteworthy because it approximates the ideal BMI associated with lowest morbidity (22.2 kg/m² in men and 21.9 kg/m² in women) 3. The Prospective Studies Collaboration analyzing 900,000 adults demonstrated that mortality increases by 30% for every 5-unit increase in BMI above 25 kg/m² 2.
Important Caveats
While BMI is a useful screening tool, it has limitations 2:
- Does not distinguish between lean and fat mass
- May misclassify individuals with high muscle mass as overweight
- Has low sensitivity (50%) for detecting excess adiposity, though high specificity (90%)
- For Asian populations, lower BMI thresholds (≥25 or ≥27.5) may be more appropriate for defining obesity due to higher cardiometabolic risk at lower BMI levels 1
Additional assessment with waist circumference (≥88 cm for women, ≥102 cm for men) should be considered for comprehensive risk stratification 1, 2.