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BMI Calculator Malaysia, With the Asian Cut-offs
BMI, body mass index, is your weight in kilograms divided by your height in metres squared. Malaysia’s Ministry of Health classifies adults on Asian cut-offs: normal is 18.5 to 22.9, pre-obese starts at 23.0 and obese at 27.5, lower than the international 25 and 30. Kira BMI: enter your height and weight below.
Worked out in your browser. Nothing you enter is sent or stored.
Enter your height and weight on the left. Your BMI appears here, on the Malaysian scale and the international one.
The adult scale does not apply under 18. Children and teenagers are classified with the WHO BMI-for-age charts, which the Malaysian guideline uses and this calculator does not.
Your BMI
– kg/m²
Malaysia (MOH 2023)
International (WHO cut-offs)
BMI is a screening measure, not a diagnosis (CDC).
Next: how many calories hold this weight?
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How this works
- The formula. Weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared. At 70 kg and 1.70 m: 70 ÷ (1.70 × 1.70) = 24.2. The category is read from the BMI as shown, to one decimal.
- The Malaysian scale for adults over 18, with the risk of comorbidities for each class: Underweight below 18.5 (low, but with increased risk of other clinical problems); Normal 18.5 to 22.9 (optimal); Pre-obese (overweight) 23.0 to 27.4 (increased); Obese I 27.5 to 32.4 (high); Obese II 32.5 to 37.4 (very high); Obese III 37.5 and above (extremely high) (Ministry of Health Malaysia, 2023).
- The international scale. Underweight below 18.5; Healthy Weight 18.5 to 24.9; Overweight 25.0 to 29.9; Class 1 Obesity 30.0 to 34.9; Class 2 Obesity 35.0 to 39.9; Class 3 Obesity 40.0 or greater (CDC).
- Why they differ. A 2004 WHO expert consultation found that a substantial proportion of Asian people are at high risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease below the international overweight cut-off of 25. It kept the international cut-offs and identified 23.0, 27.5, 32.5 and 37.5 as public-health action points (WHO Expert Consultation, The Lancet, 2004). Malaysia’s guideline uses 23 and 27.5.
- Waist circumference. The guideline screens adults yearly with BMI and waist circumference, and acts at a BMI of 23 or more or a waist of 90 cm or more for men and 80 cm or more for women.
- Under 18, the guideline classifies children and teenagers with the WHO BMI-for-age charts, so this calculator stops and says so.
Questions
How do I calculate BMI in kg?
Divide your weight in kilograms by your height in metres squared. At 70 kg and 1.70 m: 70 ÷ (1.70 × 1.70) = 24.2.
What is a healthy BMI in Malaysia?
The Ministry of Health Malaysia’s 2023 obesity guideline classes 18.5 to 22.9 as normal, with an optimal risk of comorbidities. From 23.0 is pre-obese, with increased risk, and from 27.5 obese.
Why is the Asian BMI cut-off lower than 25?
A 2004 WHO expert consultation found that a substantial proportion of Asian people are at high risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease below the international overweight cut-off of 25. It kept the international cut-offs and named 23, 27.5, 32.5 and 37.5 as action points. Malaysia uses 23 and 27.5.
Does BMI change with age or sex?
For adults, no: the formula uses only weight and height, and the adult categories are the same for everyone over 18. Children and teenagers are different: the guideline classifies them with the WHO BMI-for-age charts, which this calculator does not do.
Is BMI accurate for muscular people?
BMI is a screening measure, not a diagnosis, and it cannot tell muscle from fat. That is one reason the Malaysian guideline also screens with waist circumference, at 90 cm for men and 80 cm for women.
Apa itu kira BMI?
Kira BMI means calculate BMI. Enter height and weight above.
Is my data sent anywhere?
No. BMI is worked out in your browser. Nothing you enter is sent to a server or stored on your device.
Built by Yap Pat Yih, founder of Habitus Mind.