How much should I weigh to be skinny?
A BMI of 19 or 20. A weight of 110–120 pounds (50kg–54.5kg)
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.
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 24.9, it falls within the Healthy Weight range. If your BMI is 25.0 to 29.9, it falls within the overweight range. If your BMI is 30.0 or higher, it falls within the obese range.
From a clinical perspective, an individual is considered “too skinny” if they are deemed underweight. According to the Centers for Disease Control, an individual is underweight if their Body Mass Index (BMI) is below 18.5 [1].
Weighing too little can contribute to a weakened immune system, fragile bones and feeling tired. You can check if you're underweight by using our BMI healthy weight calculator, which shows your body mass index (BMI). If your BMI is below 18.5, this suggests that your weight may be too low.
Height | Weight | |
---|---|---|
5' 1" | 100 to 131 lbs. | 132 to 157 lbs. |
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. |
The average American woman weighs 166.2 pounds, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Male | Female | |
---|---|---|
5' 0" | 95 - 117 lbs. | 90 - 110 lbs. |
5' 1" | 101 - 123 lbs. | 95 - 116 lbs. |
5' 2" | 106 - 130 lbs. | 99 - 121 lbs. |
5' 3" | 112 - 136 lbs. | 104 - 127 lbs. |
(27) found that the most frequently selected ideal body had a BMI of 19.79, closely followed by an underweight ideal of 18.26. Ahern et al. (28) found that a BMI of 20 was considered the most attractive, while Swami et al. (29), and MacNeill and Best (30), found that an underweight body was most frequently selected.
How much is too much weight for a girl?
Overweight: anything between 25.0 and 29.9. Obese: anything above 30.0.
...
Adult BMI Calculator.
BMI | Weight Status |
---|---|
18.5—24.9 | Healthy Weight |
25.0—29.9 | Overweight |
30.0 and Above | Obesity |

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.
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.
Age (years) | Lower percentile weight (lbs) | “Average” percentile weight (lbs) |
---|---|---|
14–15 | 85–95 or less | 90–141 |
15–16 | 95–104 or less | 100–152 |
16–17 | 104–112 or less | 110–160 |
17–18 | 112–117 or less | 117–166 |
Ectomorphs. Generally thin and lean, ectomorphs tend to have slender waists, narrow hips and shoulders, small joints, and long legs and arms. They tend to be slim, without much body fat or noticeable muscle mass.
Women usually gain weight until age 65, and then begin to lose weight. Weight loss later in life occurs partly because fat replaces lean muscle tissue, and fat weighs less than muscle. Diet and exercise habits can play a large role in a person's weight changes over their lifetime.
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.
emaciated Add to list Share. Someone who is dangerously skinny and skeletal-looking can be described as emaciated.
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.
Can you be skinny but look fat?
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.
Shorter-statured women should ideally weigh less than taller women. Whether or not you're too skinny is a matter of preference. However, women who are 5 feet tall and weigh 100 pounds are not classified as underweight, according to the University of Washington.
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.”
How Much Should My 13-Year-Old Weigh? The average weight for a 13-year-old boy is between 75 and 145 pounds, while the average weight for a 13-year-old girl is between 76 and 148 pounds. For boys, the 50th percentile of weight is 100 pounds.
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.
The ideal weight for a 5 feet female in kg would be 40.8 – 49.9 kg.
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. |
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.
Common reasons for someone to have belly fat even when they're skinny is: Being too sedentary (inactive), which builds visceral fat around the organs and abdominal fat. Eating too many processed foods, which stores at the belly.
Am I fat or not?
Adult Body Mass Index
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.
According to the CDC, most 13-year-old girls weigh between 76 and 148 pounds (lb). The 50th percentile for weight in this group is around 101 lb. This means that about 50% of girls this age weigh less than 101 lb. If a 13-year-old girl weighs under the fifth percentile, a doctor may classify this as being underweight.
...
Adult BMI Calculator.
BMI | Weight Status |
---|---|
18.5—24.9 | Healthy Weight |
25.0—29.9 | Overweight |
30.0 and Above | Obesity |
Age | Height - Females | Height - Males |
---|---|---|
10 | 50 to 59 inches | 50.5 to 59 inches |
12 | 55 to 64 inches | 54 to 63.5 inches |
14 | 59 to 67.5 inches | 59 to 69.5 inches |
16 | 60 to 68 inches | 63 to 73 inches |
Age (years) | Lower percentile weight (lbs) | “Average” percentile weight (lbs) |
---|---|---|
14–15 | 85–95 or less | 90–141 |
15–16 | 95–104 or less | 100–152 |
16–17 | 104–112 or less | 110–160 |
17–18 | 112–117 or less | 117–166 |
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.