BMI Indian Standards ICMR Overweight Obesity Cutoffs
ICMR reconfirms Asian Indian BMI cutoffs: overweight starts at 23, obese at 25 — lower than WHO global standards — due to higher body fat at same BMI for Indians.
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has reaffirmed the India-specific BMI cutoffs in its latest nutritional guidelines. For Asian Indians: Underweight: BMI below 18.5. Normal: 18.5–22.9. Overweight: 23–24.9. Obese: 25 and above. These differ from the WHO global cutoffs (Overweight: 25+, Obese: 30+).
Why Indians Have Different BMI Cutoffs
Clinical research at AIIMS New Delhi and multiple Indian medical institutions has shown that Asian Indians carry significantly higher body fat percentage at any given BMI compared to Caucasian populations. An Indian with BMI 24 carries roughly the same metabolic risk as a Caucasian with BMI 27. The lower cutoffs reflect this physiological difference.
Use our bmi calculator for indians india — which uses these ICMR-recommended cutoffs — to check your BMI. For weight goals, our ideal weight calculator for indians india shows the BMI 18.5–22.9 healthy weight range for your height.