About the Overweight Calculator
This calculator checks your BMI against the overweight threshold and works out how much weight loss would bring you into the normal range. It is intended to make an abstract category concrete — turning "overweight" into a specific number of kilograms.
The formula
Target weight = 24.9 · height (m)²The upper limit of the normal BMI range is 24.9, so multiplying that by your height squared gives the highest weight that falls inside the normal category.
How to use this calculator
- 1Enter your Current Weight (kg). The field starts at
90, which you can overwrite. - 2Enter your Height (cm). The field starts at
170, which you can overwrite. - 3Read the result straight away — it recalculates as you type, so there is no button to press. Use Share to copy a link that reopens the page with your exact numbers filled in.
Worked example
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Current Weight (kg) | 90 |
| Height (cm) | 170 |
Result
BMI: 31.1 – Obese
Healthy Weight Range: 53.5–72.0 kg
Excess Weight: 18.0 kg
Weight Loss Goal: 18.0 kg
Those are the values the page loads with, so you can reproduce this result yourself and then change one field at a time to see what drives the outcome.
Understanding your result
The figure this produces is a mathematical boundary, not a health target. Health improvements from weight loss arrive long before any threshold is crossed: research consistently shows that losing 5 to 10 percent of body weight meaningfully improves blood pressure, blood glucose, and lipid profiles, whatever BMI category you end in.
Where weight sits matters as much as how much of it there is. Abdominal fat is metabolically active and carries far more cardiovascular and diabetes risk than the same weight distributed on hips and thighs. A waist over 102 cm for men or 88 cm for women indicates elevated risk even at a modest BMI.
Things worth knowing
- Target 0.5 to 1 kg per week. Faster loss tends to come from muscle and water, and rebounds more often.
- A 5 to 10 percent reduction delivers most of the measurable health benefit. It is a far more achievable goal than a BMI category.
- Resistance training preserves muscle during weight loss, which protects your metabolic rate.
- Waist circumference often improves before the scale moves much, so it is worth tracking alongside weight.
- Muscular people may exceed the overweight threshold without excess fat. Body composition matters more than the index.
Frequently asked questions
What BMI counts as overweight?+
25 to 29.9 for most adults, with 30 and above classed as obese. Lower thresholds apply for people of Asian descent, where overweight begins around 23.
How much weight do I need to lose to see health benefits?+
Just 5 to 10 percent of your current weight produces measurable improvements in blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, and joint pain — well before you reach any particular BMI category.
How quickly should I lose weight?+
Half a kilogram to one kilogram per week is the usual clinical recommendation. Faster rates increase muscle loss, are harder to sustain, and are associated with more regain.
Is it possible to be overweight and healthy?+
Metabolic health depends on fitness, fat distribution, blood markers, and activity, not on BMI alone. Some people in the overweight range have excellent markers, though cardiovascular risk does rise on average with higher BMI.