BMI by country – BMI Calculator
The same BMI does not mean the same health risk everywhere. At an identical BMI, people of Asian descent carry on average 3–5 percentage points more body fat, and more of it as visceral fat around the organs, than white European populations, so diabetes and cardiovascular risk appear at lower BMI values. For this reason a 2004 WHO expert consultation proposed lower action points for Asian populations.
| Interpretation | Overweight | Obese | Commonly used in |
|---|---|---|---|
| WHO (international) | ≥ 25 | ≥ 30 | USA, Europe and most of the world |
| Asia-Pacific | ≥ 23 | ≥ 25 | South Korea, Japan, India, Singapore and other Asian countries |
| China | ≥ 24 | ≥ 28 | Mainland China |
The differences run within countries too: the UK's NICE guidance applies the lower thresholds to people of South Asian, Chinese and Black African-Caribbean descent, and the American Diabetes Association recommends screening Asian Americans for diabetes from a BMI of 23, while the standard classification in the USA and Europe keeps 25 and 30.
The WHO still keeps 25 and 30 as the international classification; the lower values are additional action points, because risk varies even between Asian populations. Choose the interpretation that matches your background. And a doctor's assessment beats any cut-off.