Body check

What it measures

BMI is weight against height. Waist is the fat around your middle. Waist-to-height is the simplest check of all: keep your waist under half your height. Together they say more than any one alone, because Indians carry more fat around the organs at a lower BMI than Western populations.

Where the cut-offs come from

The 2009 Indian consensus (Misra and colleagues, JAPI) set BMI 23 as the top of the normal range and 25 as the start of obesity, with waist cut-offs of 80 cm for women and 90 cm for men. The 2025 revision by the India Obesity Commission kept those numbers and formally adopted the 0.5 waist-to-height cut-off; it also defined obesity in two stages by how the extra fat affects the body, which only a clinician can judge. This tool therefore shows bands, not a stage.

When to test

If any number is above range, blood sugar, insulin and lipids are the markers commonly checked alongside, since they often change before anything feels wrong. Re-measure in 90 days; the waist moves first.

Measure well

Stand straight, breathe out, tape just above the hip bone, flat and snug. Same time of day each time.

Why is 23 "above range" when charts say 25?

The Western chart uses 25. Indian consensus guidelines (2009, reaffirmed 2025) use 23, because Indians carry more body fat and more fat around the organs at the same BMI.

Which number matters most?

Waist and waist-to-height. They track the fat around the organs that is linked to blood sugar and heart markers; BMI cannot see it.

Is "above range" the same as obesity?

No. The 2025 Indian definition stages obesity by its effect on the body, which needs a clinician. This tool shows bands only.

Can I use it in pregnancy, or for a child?

No. The cut-offs are for non-pregnant adults aged 18 and above.

How should I measure my waist?

Standing, after breathing out, tape just above the hip bone, flat and snug, same time of day each time.