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BMI calculator for women – what you should know

July 27, 2020
  • Gesund leben
  • Healthy lifestyle
  • Nutrition
  • Weight loss
BMI calculator for women – what you should know

We eat too much fat, too much sweet and, above all, too much. In Germany, sixty percent of women and forty percent of men were overweight in 2009, according to the Federal Statistical Office.

The body mass index puts a person’s weight and height in relation to each other. With this simple method and the BMI calculator for women, it is possible to quickly determine whether someone is overweight, for example, and thus potentially exposed to higher health risks.

What is a normal BMI for women?

The ideal BMI value for women is around 19 to 24. At this BMI value, life expectancy is statistically the highest. For comparison, the ideal BMI value for men is 20 to 25.

How does the BMI value differ from men?

In addition to weight and height, gender also plays an important role in evaluating your BMI. Men usually have a higher percentage of muscle mass than women. That is why there are gender-specific BMI tables.

In relation to normal weight, the BMI for men is between 18.5 and 24.9.

What BMI at what age?

Another important factor for BMI is age. Increasing age often means increasing body fat. The metabolism becomes slower with age and calorie consumption decreases. However, body weight in kg can also decrease with age, as muscle mass is increasingly lost.

The following table shows the ideal BMI values for women and their age.

This way you can classify your BMI calculation even more accurately.

The ideal BMI values table for women by age

AgeIdeal BMI Value for Women
From 16-2419-24
From 25-3420-25
From 35-4421-26
From 45-5422-27
From 55-6423-28
From 65-9025-30

How does excess weight increase in all age groups?

On the one hand, less physical work and a high-quality diet lead to an improvement in living conditions. These factors are, among others, the reason why we are getting older and older.

But at the same time, they are the factors responsible for overweight and obesity. The growing motorisation of everyday life and the resulting lack of exercise do the rest.

The result is that the body, which moves less and less, cannot use up all the food it consumes. The first complaints are shortness of breath, sweating, and lower back and joint pain.

But the secondary and accompanying diseases prove to be more dangerous: High blood pressure, coronary heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

What BMI values are normal?

  • According to this, the normal weight of a person is a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9.
  • From 25.0 to 29.9, one speaks of being overweight.
  • A BMI value above 30 is called obesity.
  • A value below 18.5 is classified as underweight.

How seriously should I take my BMI value?

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First and foremost, the Body Mass Index is only a guide. A quick, relative index that allows us to make a rough assessment of our body weight. The calculation of the Body Mass Index only takes into account the total body weight.

The Body Mass Index does not give any information about the distribution of body fat and does not distinguish between fat mass, water and muscles. Therefore, it should not only be related to age and gender. The physique, sports activities and other individual factors should definitely be taken into account.

Therefore, our tip: The most important factors are a balanced diet and regular sport and exercise. Above all, you should feel good. Everyone knows that people who exercise regularly feel better.

This is especially true for children and teenagers. They are still growing, so it is difficult to determine a meaningful BMI for children. But here, too, a healthy diet in combination with sporting activities is ideal.

The German Nutrition Society recommends consuming at least 30g of dietary fibre per day from whole grain products, vegetables, legumes and fruit. In addition to whole grain cereal products, potatoes are also a possible source of carbohydrates.

How to calculate the Body Mass Index

Calculating BMI – Basically, BMI is calculated using a simple formula:

Body weight (in kg) divided by height (in m) squared.

Example: You are 1.70 metres tall and weigh 80 kilograms. Then you calculate:

1.70 x 1.70 =  2.89

Then divide your weight by this value:

80 : 2.89 = 27.7

27.7 – or rounded up to 28 – is your body mass index (BMI).

However, it is important to note that the BMI formula does not take into account the individual composition of body mass consisting of water, fat and muscle tissue.

Nevertheless, the Body Mass Index can serve as a first, quick guide to classify your body weight in kilograms. Based on your Body Mass Index, you can set new nutrition and health goals.

Here you will find a BMI table for women including body weight in underweight, normal weight, overweight.

Category BMIBMI (kg/m2)Body Weight
Severe underweight16.0Underweight
Moderate underweight16.0 – 17.0Underweight
Slide underweight17.0 – 18.5Underweight
Normal weight18.5 – 24.9Normal weight
Preadiposity25.0 – 29.9Overweight
Adipositas Type I30.0 – 34.9Adipositas
Adipositas Type II35.0 – 39.9Adipositas
Adipositas Type III≥ 40Adipositas

You have calculated your BMI value yourself? Above you will find a compact overview (for adults over 20 years) of how to evaluate your BMI according to the World Health Organization (WHO).​[1]​

  1. [1]
    Riley, Leanne: Body Mass Index (BMI). URL https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/themes/topics/topic-details/GHO/body-mass-index. – abgerufen am 2020-07-27. — World Health Organization (WHO)
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