You calculate your BMI by dividing your weight in kilos by your height in metres times your height in metres: someone who is 1.72 m tall and weighs 112 kilos has a BMI of 37.9. Enter your height and weight below. The calculator only works on your own device and does not save anything. Then you can read what your result means and what help fits it.
Underweight
Your BMI is low (underweight). Concerned about your health? Discuss it with your GP (huisarts).
Healthy weight
Your BMI is in the healthy range.
Overweight
You are overweight. Do you also have a large waist circumference, high blood pressure or diabetes? Then a combined lifestyle intervention (GLI) can help. Read about the GLI.
Obesity
You have obesity. Your GP (huisarts) can help you with a lifestyle programme. Do you have type 2 diabetes that is poorly controlled? Then surgery may also be an option. View the criteria.
Obesity
You have obesity. With conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure or sleep apnoea, you may be eligible for medication or weight loss surgery (bariatric surgery). View the criteria.
Severe obesity
You have severe obesity. You may be eligible for weight loss surgery (bariatric surgery). View the criteria.
You see the thresholds for an Asian, Hindustani, Middle Eastern, African or African-Caribbean background (NHG-Standaard Obesitas, 2025). The BMI thresholds for weight loss surgery (30 with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes, 35 and 40) apply to everyone.
Download the conversation card for your GP
BMI does not tell the whole story. Muscle strength, age and background play a part. Your GP looks at the whole picture.
In brief
BMI stands for body mass index. The number shows whether your weight matches your height. The calculation takes three steps:
Another example. Say you are 1.60 m and weigh 78 kilos. Then 1.60 × 1.60 = 2.56. Your BMI is 78 ÷ 2.56 = 30.5. That is just within obesity class I. At 1.60 m, obesity starts at 76.8 kilos (30 × 2.56) and the threshold for overweight is 64 kilos (25 × 2.56).
So you can also reverse the calculation: threshold × height × height = weight. That way you can see what a few kilos do. For someone who is 1.72 m, a BMI of 35 corresponds to 103.5 kilos (35 × 2.958) and a BMI of 40 to 118.3 kilos (40 × 2.958).
The multidisciplinary Richtlijn overgewicht en obesitas (2023) divides adults of European origin into the classes below. The last column shows what the BMI check recommends for that result.
| BMI | Class | What the check recommends |
|---|---|---|
| below 18.5 | Underweight | Concerned about your health? Discuss it with your GP. |
| 18.5 to 25 | Healthy weight | No action needed for your weight. |
| 25 to 30 | Overweight | With a large waist circumference, high blood pressure or diabetes, the GLI can help. |
| 30 to 35 | Obesity class I | Ask your GP about the GLI. With poorly controlled type 2 diabetes, surgery may also come into consideration. |
| 35 to 40 | Obesity class II | With conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure or sleep apnoea, medication or surgery may be an option. |
| 40 or higher | Obesity class III | Weight loss surgery can be an option, after previous treatment. |
Source for classes: Richtlijnendatabase, Richtlijn overgewicht en obesitas bij volwassenen (10-07-2023). Advice: NHG-Standaard Obesitas (October 2025).
How obesity develops and why it is a chronic disease is explained in the explanation of overweight and obesity. If you are above 35, also look at the conditions for being eligible for weight loss surgery (bariatric surgery).
For people with an Asian (including Hindustani), Middle Eastern, African or African-Caribbean background, the same BMI comes with a higher risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. That is why GPs use lower thresholds for them (NHG-Standaard Obesitas, October 2025). In the BMI check you choose the matching profile. That choice stays on your own device.
| Class | General | Asian, Hindustani, Middle Eastern, African or African-Caribbean |
|---|---|---|
| Overweight | 25 to 30 | 23 to 27.5 |
| Obesity | 30 to 35 | 27.5 to 32.5 |
| Severe obesity | 35 to 40 | 32.5 to 37.5 |
| Very severe obesity | 40 or higher | 37.5 or higher |
For some backgrounds the waist thresholds are also lower (Dutch guideline on overweight and obesity, 2023). That is why the check also shows your waist-to-height ratio (WHtR): your waist divided by your height. From 0.5 the risk is increased, from 0.6 it is high (NICE guideline NG246, 2025). This measure works for everyone, whatever their background. The BMI thresholds for weight loss surgery are the same for everyone.
Fat around your belly and organs is more strongly linked to diabetes and cardiovascular disease than fat on your hips or legs. That is why the guideline recommends measuring waist circumference in all adults with a BMI of 25 or more. This is how to do it:
Which measurement counts as increased depends on your background. The guideline gives these thresholds:
| Background | Women | Men |
|---|---|---|
| European | 88 cm or more (risk already rises from 80 cm) | 102 cm or more (risk already rises from 94 cm) |
| Asian | 80 cm | 85 cm |
| Chinese | 81 cm | 83 cm |
| African (sub-Saharan) | 80 cm | 94 cm |
| South American | 83 to 90 cm | 88 to 94 cm |
Source: Richtlijnendatabase, Richtlijn overgewicht en obesitas bij volwassenen, module uitkomstmaten (10-07-2023).
Waist circumference counts towards a reimbursed lifestyle programme. With a BMI between 25 and 35 and a waist of 88 cm or more (women) or 102 cm or more (men), you are eligible for the GLI, the lifestyle programme covered by basic health insurance (basisverzekering) (Zorginstituut Nederland, 29-05-2026).
BMI is quick and free, but it remains a rough measure. It does not know whether your weight consists of fat or muscle, nor where the fat is. Pay particular attention in these situations:
That is why your GP never looks at BMI alone. Your waist circumference, your symptoms, your age and your background also count. Together they give a fairer picture than a single number.
Healthcare professionals use a table for weight-related health risk, GGR for short (gewichtsgerelateerd gezondheidsrisico). It combines your BMI with your waist circumference and with weight-related conditions. Think of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, sleep apnoea, osteoarthritis and mental health problems. The result determines which care is appropriate.
| BMI | Without increased waist or condition | With increased waist circumference | With a weight-related disease |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 to 30 | Slightly increased: advice on a healthy lifestyle | Moderately increased: basic GLI | Moderately increased: basic GLI with additional care |
| 30 to 35 | Moderately increased: advice on a healthy lifestyle | Highly increased: basic GLI | Highly increased: basic GLI with additional care |
| 35 to 40 | Highly increased: basic GLI | Extremely increased: specialised GLI | Extremely increased: specialised GLI |
| 40 or higher | Extremely increased: specialised GLI | Extremely increased: specialised GLI | Extremely increased: specialised GLI |
Source: Richtlijnendatabase, table 13.1 of the Richtlijn overgewicht en obesitas (2023). We were unable to check whether the NHG-Standaard of October 2025 uses exactly this table. The thresholds differ for people over 70 and people of non-European descent.
Example. Say you are a woman of 1.65 m, you weigh 80 kilos and your waist measures 92 cm. Your BMI is 80 ÷ (1.65 × 1.65) = 80 ÷ 2.7225 = 29.4. That is overweight. Because your waist circumference is above 88 cm, your weight-related health risk (GGR) is moderately increased. You then qualify for a combined lifestyle intervention (GLI) covered by your insurance, even without obesity.
Your result is not a diagnosis, but it is a good starting point for a conversation. What you do next depends on your BMI, your waist and your symptoms:
You can find all the options side by side in the overview of treatments for overweight and obesity. Going to see your GP (huisarts)? Write your BMI and waist circumference on the conversation card. Read how to approach the conversation in tips for raising your weight with your GP.
For you
Conversation card for your GP
Fill it in before your appointment: what you have already tried, your symptoms and your questions. Take it with you to your GP (huisarts) or practice nurse (POH).
Download PDF of the conversation card for your GP (46 kB)Download PNG of the conversation card for your GP (132 kB)
We value your privacy
Your BMI does not tell the whole story. So also take the extended weight loss test with personal advice: it also looks at your waist circumference and health conditions. If you would like help afterwards, you can read on this site about personal coaching after your BMI result and about medical weight loss with a doctor involved.
You divide your weight in kilos by your height in metres multiplied by your height in metres. At 1.80 m and 100 kilos, that is 100 ÷ (1.80 × 1.80) = 100 ÷ 3.24 = 30.9. Use the calculator on your phone for the last step. What the result means is shown in the table of BMI classes on this page.
No, the BMI check does not store or send anything. The calculation only happens in the browser on your own phone or computer. When you close the page, the numbers are gone. Read how we handle data in this site's privacy statement.
Yes, in adults of European descent obesity starts at a BMI of exactly 30. Up to 35 this is called class I obesity. At that level the combined lifestyle intervention (GLI) is often the first step, especially if your waist circumference is large. Read what you can expect from the GLI with your GP or lifestyle coach.
A BMI of 35 is class II obesity. If you also have a disease related to your weight, such as diabetes, high blood pressure or sleep apnoea, medication or surgery may come into view after earlier treatment. See the criteria for weight loss surgery at BMI 35 and discuss them with your GP (huisarts).
A BMI of 40 or higher is class III obesity, sometimes called morbid obesity. Your health risk is then extremely increased, even without other diseases. If earlier treatments have not helped enough, weight loss surgery may be an option. Read what weight loss surgery involves.
Not always. Muscle is heavy, so athletes with a lot of muscle mass can have a BMI above 25 without much fat. In that case, measure your waist circumference. If it stays below the threshold for your background, your health risk is probably lower than your BMI suggests. If in doubt, ask your GP (huisarts).
Small differences are normal. Your weight fluctuates during the day, and clothes and shoes weigh one to two kilos. Scales also differ. So weigh yourself at home at a fixed time, for example in the morning without clothes, and always use the same scales. The trend over weeks says more than a single measurement.
For people of sub-Saharan African descent, waist circumference is considered large from 80 cm in women and 94 cm in men, according to the 2023 guideline. For men, that is lower than the 102 cm that applies to people of European descent. Discuss your result with your GP (huisarts). See also the criteria for weight loss surgery.
Measure standing up, on bare skin, halfway between your lowest rib and the top of your pelvis. Breathe out calmly and do not pull the tape tight. Measure twice and take the average. For women of European origin, 88 cm or more is increased; for men, 102 cm or more.
It can, if your waist circumference is large or if you have a disease related to your weight, such as high blood pressure. With only a BMI of 27 and no other risks, the GLI is usually not needed. Your GP (huisarts) or practice nurse (POH) will assess this. Read how to raise this with your GP.
The check only looks at your height and weight; your GP (huisarts) looks at more. They also take into account your waist circumference, your age, your descent and diseases such as high blood pressure. That is why your GP's advice may turn out stricter or milder. Read in the overview of obesity treatments which care fits which level of risk.
Yes, that helps. Write down your height, weight, BMI and waist circumference, together with your symptoms and what you have already tried. That way your GP (huisarts) can see more quickly what fits. The conversation card has boxes for this. Download it via the free downloads, such as the conversation card.
There is no fixed rule for this. Preferably do not weigh yourself every day, because your weight fluctuates from day to day. Once a month at the same time gives a calmer picture. If you are following a treatment, agree with your practitioner how often you measure.
No, this calculator is only for adults. For children and teenagers, the thresholds depend on age and sex. If you are worried about your child's weight, discuss it with the youth health doctor (jeugdarts) or the GP (huisarts). They use growth charts that suit your child.
That depends on your height. At 1.72 m, 5 kilos makes a difference of about 1.7 BMI points: 5 ÷ 2.958 = 1.69. So going from 112 to 107 kilos takes you from 37.9 to 36.2. Even without dropping a class, that kind of weight loss already brings health benefits. Read more about the consequences of overweight and obesity.
