1. What is BMI for Asians?

Body Mass Index (BMI) is a measure of body fat based on height and weight. For Asian populations, lower BMI cutoffs are used because they develop weight-related health risks at lower BMI levels than Caucasians.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the standard BMI formula with Asian-specific cutoffs:

Where:

• \( weight \) — Body weight in kilograms
• \( height \) — Height in meters

Explanation: The same formula is used worldwide, but interpretation differs for Asian populations.

3. Asian BMI Cutoffs

Details: The World Health Organization recommends lower BMI cutoffs for Asian populations:

• Underweight: <18.5 kg/m²
• Normal weight: 18.5-22.9 kg/m²
• Overweight: 23-27.4 kg/m²
• Obese: ≥27.5 kg/m²

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter weight in kilograms and height in meters. For height, you can convert from cm to m by dividing by 100 (e.g., 170 cm = 1.70 m).

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: Why different cutoffs for Asians?
A: Asians develop type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease at lower BMI levels than Caucasians.

Q2: Are these cutoffs the same for all Asian ethnicities?
A: There may be slight variations between Chinese, Indian, Japanese, and other Asian populations.

Q3: What's the difference from standard BMI categories?
A: Standard overweight cutoff is 25 (vs 23 for Asians) and obese is 30 (vs 27.5).

Q4: Does BMI measure body fat directly?
A: No, it's a screening tool. Athletes may have high BMI from muscle, not fat.

Q5: What are the health risks at Asian BMI levels?
A: Risks increase significantly above 23, with high diabetes risk above 27.5.