At what weight is considered skinny?
Women with a BMI of less than 18.5 are considered underweight. The average woman's height is 5 feet, 4 inches. If you weigh 107 pounds or less at this height, you are considered underweight with a BMI of 18.4. A healthy weight range for that woman would be 108 to 145 pounds.
What exactly counts as being "skinny?" Some healthcare experts believe a BMI in the 15-18 range to be clinically underweight. This seems to fall pretty close to what many everyday people consider to be "skinny" with a BMI of 18 or lower frequently listed as the indicator of someone considered to be slim.
If you have a BMI of less 18.5, you're technically considered underweight. If your flexed biceps measure less than 13.3″ in circumference, that's a good sign that your muscles are smaller than average, and so you could be considered skinny.
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BMI Calculator.
BMI | Classification |
---|---|
18 or less | Underweight |
19 - 24 | Healthy |
25 - 29 | Overweight |
30+ | Obese |
If your BMI is less than 18.5, it falls within the underweight range.
People that live in regions such as the Midwest and the South tend to desire more average sizes. In these regions, a woman wearing a size 8 to 10 is considered thin and appealing. Women who are in the 00 to 4 range might be seen as underweight.
Yes, skinny fat is a real, remarkably common phenomenon and can be deadly even. It describes lean individuals (BMI < 25kg/m2) with a dangerously high percentage of body fat compared to lean muscle mass.
Muscle is denser than fat, and as it is more compact within your body, as you gain muscle mass, you end up looking thinner, no matter your physical weight. So, if you've been doing a lot of strength training lately, it's likely this is the reason that you're looking fantastic but not dropping those numbers.
Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), or body dysmorphia, is a mental health condition where a person spends a lot of time worrying about flaws in their appearance. These flaws are often unnoticeable to others. People of any age can have BDD, but it's most common in teenagers and young adults.
If your BMI is below 18.5, this suggests that your weight may be too low. If you're underweight, or you're concerned that someone you know is, tell a GP or practice nurse. They can give you help and advice.
How do I know if I'm skinny or skinny fat?
The recommended ranges for healthy men are between 10-20% body fat, and for women, the ranges are 18-28%. If your body fat exceeds these ranges, but you have a normal weight when you stand on the scale, you may be skinny fat.
Believe it or not, skinny people often do NOT possess the low body fat one might expect due to their low muscle mass in relationship to what body fat they do have. Lean people, on the other hand, possess a much higher amount of lean body mass (mostly muscle) coupled with a very low amount of body fat.

If your BMI is less than 18.5, it falls within the underweight range. If your BMI is 18.5 to <25, it falls within the healthy weight range. If your BMI is 25.0 to <30, it falls within the overweight range. If your BMI is 30.0 or higher, it falls within the obesity range.
BMI scores of 20 to 24.9 are considered normal, scores of 25 to 29.9 are overweight, scores of 30 to 34.9 are obese, and scores above 35 are extremely obese. Scores under 20 are considered underweight.
Ideally, your BMI should be between 18.5 and 24.9. A BMI of 25 or over indicates that the person concerned is overweight, while obesity is defined as a BMI of over 30. Someone with a BMI of 20.5 is therefore within the normal weight range (see table).
What should your waist measurement be? For men, a waist circumference below 94cm (37in) is 'low risk', 94–102cm (37-40in) is 'high risk' and more than 102cm (40in) is 'very high'. For women, below 80cm (31.5in) is low risk, 80–88cm (31.5-34.6in) is high risk and more than 88cm (34.6in) is very high.
Height | Weight | |
---|---|---|
5' 2" | 104 to 135 lbs. | 136 to 163 lbs. |
5' 3" | 107 to 140 lbs. | 141 to 168 lbs. |
5' 4" | 110 to 144 lbs. | 145 to 173 lbs. |
5' 5" | 114 to 149 lbs. | 150 to 179 lbs. |
A BMI of less than 18.5 means a person is underweight. A BMI of between 18.5 and 24.9 is ideal. A BMI of between 25 and 29.9 is overweight. A BMI over 30 indicates obesity.
In standard women's clothing sizes, Size 10 is considered “Medium”. A woman who is 4′ 10″ or less and wears size 10 Petite clothing would likely be considered overweight.
To have your best chance at maintaining good health, you should aim for: Men should have a waist circumference of 40 inches or less. Women should have a waist circumference of 35 inches or less.
What is a skinny waist size?
Generally speaking, a 28-inch waist is on the small side and indicates low abdominal fat, a marker of good health. However, having a slim waist doesn't automatically make you healthy. And you must also consider other diet and lifestyle factors.
Those who started adulthood as obese and continued to add weight had the highest mortality rate. People who start adulthood with a body mass index (BMI) in the normal range and move later in life to being overweight -- but never obese -- tend to live the longest, a new study suggests.
This happens when you lose body fat while gaining muscle. Your weight may stay the same, even as you lose inches, a sign that you're moving in the right direction.
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute indicates that a healthy weight for a woman who is 5 feet, 4 inches tall ranges from 110 to 140 pounds with a BMI of 19 to 24. A woman whose BMI score is above 25 falls in the overweight category and 30 and above falls in the obesity category.
The average American woman 20 years old and up weighs 170.6 pounds and stands at 63.7 inches (almost 5 feet, 4 inches) tall. And the average waist circumference? It's 38.6 inches.
Anything below those numbers is underweight. Anything above those numbers is overweight. Even though our society has come to think of models as the ideal size for women, a lot of them are actually underweight. The average model weighs 113 pounds, which is 23% less than the average woman.
“As a person's weight increases above the average, so too does the likelihood that their prior experience involves smaller bodies. Because the brain combines our past and present experiences, it creates an illusion whereby we appear thinner than we actually are.”
The truth is, your weight doesn't determine your health risk, and just because your skinny, doesn't mean you're in the free and clear of disease. In fact, you could be up against many health risks and not even know it.
Bodies come in all different shapes and sizes, and not all of them fall into the “skinny” category or even the “curvy” category. From naturally thin to muscular to soft and round, no two bodies are designed the exact same way.
Below 18.5 | Underweight |
---|---|
18.5–24.9 | Healthy |
25–29.9 | Overweight |
30 and above | Obese |
How much does a skinny 5 5 girl weigh?
Height | Weight | |
---|---|---|
5' 2" | 104 to 135 lbs. | 164 to 213 lbs. |
5' 3" | 107 to 140 lbs. | 169 to 220 lbs. |
5' 4" | 110 to 144 lbs. | 174 to 227 lbs. |
5' 5" | 114 to 149 lbs. | 180 to 234 lbs. |
According to the CDC the “healthy” weight range for a 5′6″, 12 year old female is 92 to 135 pounds.
This is what might politely be called the chubby category, with body mass indexes (a measure of weight for height) of 25 to 30. A woman, for instance, who is 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighs between 146 and 175 pounds.
- If your BMI is less than 18.5, it falls within the underweight range.
- If your BMI is 18.5 to <25, it falls within the healthy weight range.
- If your BMI is 25.0 to <30, it falls within the overweight range.
- If your BMI is 30.0 or higher, it falls within the obesity range.
Your weight (150 pounds) is in the Healthy Weight category for adults of your height (5 feet, 9 inches).
First, what is skinny fat? “Skinny fat” simply describes a state in which someone has too little muscle mass and too much body fat. People who are skinny fat often look normal or even skinny when wearing clothes, but look soft, weak, and flabby underneath. Hence the name, “skinny fat.”
Average Skinny Girl Weight And Height
Clinically underweight or dangerously skinny for the average woman: A BMI of 15, 16, 17, 18. A weight under 100–110 pounds (50kg)
Male | Female | |
---|---|---|
Height | Ideal Weight | Ideal Weight |
4′ 11″ | 90 – 110 lbs. | 86 – 105 lbs. |
5′ 0″ | 95 – 117 lbs. | 90 – 110 lbs. |
5′ 1″ | 101 – 123 lbs. | 95 – 116 lbs. |
Height | Normal weight BMI 19–24 | Overweight BMI 25–29 |
---|---|---|
5 ft 4 in (64 in) | 110–140 lb | 145–169 lb |
5 ft 5 in (65 in) | 114–144 lb | 150–174 lb |
5 ft 6 in (66 in) | 118–148 lb | 155–179 lb |
5 ft 7 in (67 in) | 121–153 lb | 159–185 lb |
If majority rules, a size 10 has a 36″ bust, 28″ waist and a 40″ hip. She's five foot five or six inches tall and weighs 140 pounds.
How underweight do you have to be to be hospitalized?
Low Body Weight
The Academy of Eating Disorders recommends inpatient treatment for anyone at or below 75% of their ideal body weight. This is a general suggestion for medical professionals, not a hard and fast rule.
A BMI of less than 18.5 means a person is underweight. A BMI of between 18.5 and 24.9 is ideal. A BMI of between 25 and 29.9 is overweight. A BMI over 30 indicates obesity.