BMI for 175 cm and 40 kg
A person 175 cm (5'9") tall weighing 40 kg (88 lbs) has a BMI of 13.1 — classified as Underweight. The healthy weight range for this height is 56.7–76.3 kg.
Your BMI score
Quick health screening — not a diagnosis
Your BMI is well below the healthy range and may indicate serious health risk.
What this means
BMI is a quick screening number based only on height and weight. It doesn't distinguish muscle from fat, and shouldn't replace a clinical assessment.
- 18.5–24.9 generally lowest health risk
- 25–29.9 elevated metabolic risk
- 30+ higher long-term risk
BMI range
WHO adult classification
- YouSevere thinness< 16
- Underweight16 – 18.5
- Normal18.5 – 24.9
- Overweight25 – 29.9
- Obese I30 – 34.9
- Obese II35 – 39.9
- Obese III≥ 40
What does this BMI mean?
Severely underweight · BMI 13.1 · Underweight
13.1 sits in the severely-underweight band. For a 175 cm frame, that's roughly 16.7 kg below where the healthy range starts.
Sustained low BMI can be linked to nutritional gaps, reduced bone density, or low energy. If the result is unintentional, a clinician check-up and basic blood work are sensible next steps.
Treat this as a starting point, not a verdict. BMI ignores muscle mass, body shape, and individual context — it's a quick number for a population, not a personal health score.
For someone 175 cm tall, weights between 56.7 kg and 76.3 kg fall in the BMI 18.5–24.9 healthy range — roughly 125–168 lbs.
How far from the healthy range?
Target BMI milestones
Weights that would land at common BMI thresholds for 175 cm.
| Milestone | Target weight | vs current |
|---|---|---|
| BMI 18.5 (lower healthy bound) | 56.7 kg(125 lbs) | Gain ~16.7 kg |
| BMI 20 (low-healthy) | 61.3 kg(135 lbs) | Gain ~21.3 kg |
| BMI 22 (mid-healthy) | 67.4 kg(149 lbs) | Gain ~27.4 kg |
Why BMI isn't the whole story
- Muscle vs fat: BMI treats a kilogram of muscle the same as a kilogram of fat. Strength athletes and very muscular builds can land in the overweight band while having low body fat.
- Body shape matters: Two people at the same BMI can carry weight very differently. Waist circumference and waist-to-height ratio capture risk that BMI misses.
- Age, sex, ethnicity: The 18.5–24.9 window is a single global average. Cutoffs adjusted for ethnicity and age can shift the interpretation, especially at the edges of the band.
- Still useful: BMI remains widely used because it's cheap, fast, and roughly predictive at population scale. Treat it as a self-check signal, not a diagnosis.
Nearby BMI combinations
Related
Common questions
Last updated: 2026