What BMI range indicates overweight status?

The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a valuable tool used to categorize individuals based on their body weight in relation to their height. The range considered to indicate overweight status is from 25 to 30. This classification helps to identify individuals who may be at higher risk for developing health-related issues associated with excess weight, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers.

Understanding the specific BMI ranges is important:

• A BMI below 18.5 is classified as underweight.

• A BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is considered normal weight.

• As noted, a BMI of 25 to 29.9 identifies an individual as overweight.

• A BMI of 30 or higher indicates obesity.

The rationale behind setting the overweight threshold at 25 is based on research correlating increased BMI ranges with health risks. Thus, identifying a BMI of 25-30 as the overweight category allows health professionals to target this group for interventions aimed at improving health outcomes.