Your BMI is 27.3 kg/m², which places you in the overweight category
BMI Calculation
For your height of 5 feet 3 inches (63 inches or 160 cm) and weight of 154 pounds (69.9 kg), your calculated BMI is 27.3 kg/m². 1, 2
- The formula used is: weight (kg) / [height (m)]² = 69.9 / (1.60)² = 27.3 kg/m² 3
- Alternatively in imperial units: [weight (pounds) / height (inches)²] × 703 = [154 / (63)²] × 703 = 27.3 kg/m² 2
What This Means for Your Health
Your BMI of 27.3 kg/m² falls into the "overweight" category (BMI 25.0-29.9 kg/m²), which is associated with increased health risks compared to the healthy weight range of 18.5-24.9 kg/m². 4, 1
Health Risk Implications
- Being overweight increases your risk for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, certain cancers (including breast, colon, and endometrial), and stroke 4, 1
- The American Heart Association notes that health risk increases progressively at higher BMI levels, even within the overweight range 4
- Mortality risk increases approximately log-linearly once BMI exceeds 25.0 kg/m², with a hazard ratio of 1.07-1.20 for the overweight range 5
When Weight Loss Treatment Is Indicated
You should pursue weight loss if you have any of the following cardiovascular risk factors or obesity-related conditions: 4, 2
- Diabetes or prediabetes
- Hypertension (high blood pressure)
- Dyslipidemia (abnormal cholesterol levels)
- Elevated waist circumference (>35 inches or 88 cm for women; >40 inches or 102 cm for men)
- Sleep apnea
- Osteoarthritis
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease
If you do not have any of these conditions, you should focus on preventing further weight gain rather than necessarily losing weight. 4, 2
Additional Assessment Needed
BMI alone does not tell the complete story—you should also measure your waist circumference for a more accurate cardiovascular risk assessment. 4, 1, 2
- A waist circumference >35 inches (88 cm) for women or >40 inches (102 cm) for men indicates increased cardiovascular risk, even if BMI is in the overweight rather than obese range 4, 1
- Central (abdominal) fat carries greater health risks than fat distributed elsewhere 2
Important Caveats
- BMI does not distinguish between muscle mass and fat mass, so individuals with high muscle mass may be misclassified as overweight 1, 2
- BMI has good specificity (90%) but low sensitivity (50%) for diagnosing excess body fat 2
- For Asian populations, lower BMI thresholds apply: overweight is defined as BMI ≥23.0 kg/m² and obesity as BMI ≥25.0 kg/m² due to higher body fat percentages and visceral adiposity at lower BMI values 1, 3
Recommended Actions
If you have cardiovascular risk factors, aim for a 5-10% weight loss through diet, physical activity, and behavioral changes. 4
- A 5-10% weight reduction (approximately 8-15 pounds for you) can meaningfully improve blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar control 4, 1
- Target a slow, steady weight loss of 1-2 pounds per week for sustainable results 4
If you do not have risk factors, focus on preventing additional weight gain by: 4, 2