Healthy Weight for a 5'6" Woman or Man (168 cm): 115 to 154 lb
For an adult who is 5 ft 6 in tall (167.6 cm, or 1.676 m), the healthy weight range is 115 to 154 lb. That is the set of weights that gives a body mass index (BMI) between 18.5 and 24.9, the band the WHO, the CDC and the NHS call a healthy weight. The figures are the same for women and men.
Pounds115 to 154 lb
Kilograms52.0 to 69.9 kg
Stones8 st 3 lb to 11 st 0 lb
General information about adult BMI ranges, not medical advice. It does not apply to children, teenagers or pregnancy; a doctor, nurse or dietitian can look at your health as a whole.
What the range means at 5 ft 6 in
The range spans 39 lb (17.9 kg) from end to end, which is why health services give a band rather than one ideal weight: frame, muscle and the way fat is distributed all vary from one person to the next. Around this height, each extra inch adds about 3.5 lb to the lower limit and 4.7 lb to the upper one: one inch shorter, at 5 ft 5 in, it is 112 to 149 lb and one inch taller, at 5 ft 7 in, it is 119 to 158 lb.
In the United States, measured average height is 63.5 in for women and 68.9 in for men aged 20 and over (CDC, 2021–2023 survey). 5 ft 6 in is 2.5 in above the average for women and 2.9 in below the average for men. Whichever applies to you, the healthy BMI range does not change with sex in adults, so a 5 ft 6 in woman and a 5 ft 6 in man share the same figures.
BMI categories at 5 ft 6 in
| Category | BMI | Pounds | Kilograms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Underweight | Below 18.5 | Under 115 lb | Under 52.0 kg |
| Healthy weight | 18.5 to 24.9 | 115 to 154 lb | 52.0 to 69.9 kg |
| Overweight | 25 to 29.9 | 155 to 185 lb | 70.0 to 84.0 kg |
| Obesity | 30 or more | 186 lb or more | 84.1 kg or more |
And the other way round, the BMI that goes with a few weights at 5 ft 6 in:
| Weight | In kg | BMI | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 lb | 45.4 kg | 16.1 | Underweight |
| 110 lb | 49.9 kg | 17.8 | Underweight |
| 120 lb | 54.4 kg | 19.4 | Healthy weight |
| 130 lb | 59.0 kg | 21.0 | Healthy weight |
| 140 lb | 63.5 kg | 22.6 | Healthy weight |
| 150 lb | 68.0 kg | 24.2 | Healthy weight |
| 160 lb | 72.6 kg | 25.8 | Overweight |
| 170 lb | 77.1 kg | 27.4 | Overweight |
| 180 lb | 81.6 kg | 29.1 | Overweight |
| 190 lb | 86.2 kg | 30.7 | Obesity |
| 200 lb | 90.7 kg | 32.3 | Obesity |
Women and men
For adults, the WHO, CDC and NHS categories do not differ by sex, so this page covers both. Sex does matter in two places: during pregnancy BMI ranges are not used at all (the NHS asks pregnant women not to use its adult BMI calculator), and for anyone under 18, whose BMI is compared with children of the same age and sex on CDC or WHO growth charts.
Where BMI falls short
- Muscle. BMI cannot tell muscle from fat. A muscular 5 ft 6 in adult who weighs 160 lb has a BMI of 25.8 without necessarily carrying much fat.
- Fat around the middle. The NHS suggests keeping your waist to less than half your height: under 33 in (83.8 cm) at 5 ft 6 in. See waist-to-height ratio.
- Ethnic background. For people of South Asian, Chinese, other Asian, Middle Eastern, Black African or African-Caribbean background, the NHS and NICE treat a BMI of 23 to 27.4 as overweight and 27.5 or more as obesity. At 5 ft 6 in the healthy range then becomes 115 to 141 lb (52.0 to 64.3 kg). More in adult BMI categories.
- Age. From 65, NICE advises reading BMI with caution, taking other health conditions into account.
- Pregnancy, children, eating disorders. BMI ranges are not meant for pregnancy or for under-18s, and if you have, or think you may have, an eating disorder, the NHS advises speaking to a GP rather than using a calculator.
For another height, or to add your weight and waist, use the healthy weight calculator or the full printable healthy weight chart. Our guide what is a healthy weight? explains what the numbers can and cannot tell you.
Other heights
Sources
- World Health Organization, "Obesity and overweight" fact sheet: adult overweight is a BMI of 25 or more, obesity 30 or more.
- World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory, "Body mass index": underweight is a BMI below 18.5.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "Adult BMI Categories": healthy weight 18.5 to less than 25.
- NHS, "Calculate your body mass index (BMI) for adults": who should not use BMI (under 18, pregnancy, eating disorders, conditions affecting height), muscle and fat.
- NHS, "Obesity": BMI 23 to 27.4 is overweight and 27.5 or more is obese for people of South Asian, Chinese, other Asian, Middle Eastern, Black African or African-Caribbean background; keep your waist to less than half your height.
- CDC National Center for Health Statistics, FastStats, "Body Measurements": measured average height of US adults aged 20 and over, 68.9 in for men and 63.5 in for women (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, August 2021 to August 2023; US government work, public domain).
- NICE guideline NG246, "Overweight and obesity management", recommendations 1.9.10 to 1.9.13 (nice.org.uk): lower thresholds for some ethnic groups, caution after 65.
- Calculation: weight = BMI × height in metres squared; 1 in = 2.54 cm, 1 lb = 0.45359237 kg, 1 st = 14 lb. Sources checked on 13 November 2026.