What's my BMI? Is a 221 pound female overweight?
Is 221 lbs overweight for the average woman?
According to the CDC, BMI is a good indicator of weight, for most people. For the average female, at 5 feet 3, 221 pounds is a BMI of 39.1, which is considered obese. Of course, this will be different at different heights, so make sure you calculate the BMI for your specific weight, by using our calculator below. Another important thing to keep in mind is that even though at a certain height 221 lbs might be considered overweight or healthy, body composition and body fat percentage also factor in to whether or not this weight is a healthy weight for you.
221 lbs comes in all shapes and sizes.
Unfortunately it's quite not as simple as 221 lbs being overweight, underweight or obese, it's actually more important to compare the weight with your height. In order to reach the healthy BMI range of 18.5 to 24.9 BMI you would need to be in the height range of 6'8 to 7'7.
As BMI does not take gender into account, the range is the same for both males and females. Again, BMI is only useful as a guide, is not perfect and does not have any way to take into account the amount of muscle you have, or your body fat percentage.
So in summary, it seems that 221 lbs is considered obese for the average woman.
It's important to understand that BMI is not perfect.
BMI is not a perfect way of measuring body fatness, but it does a pretty good job for most people. Athletes, or particularly muscular people will find that BMI is not specific enough to meet their needs, and it's probably worth looking into something like body fat percentage. BMI just gives us an easy way to quickly understand the ratio between someones height and someones weight, it does not take into account how much fat you are carrying versus muscle.
Try our BMI Calculator to learn everything about your BMI
Know your BMI? Go straight there.
Height and Weight BMI Health Chart for 221 Pounds (lbs)
Check out this table below to visually understand what heights are considered underweight, healthy, overweight and obese at 221 lbs.
Height | Weight Level |
---|---|
4'9" | Obese |
4'10" | Obese |
4'11" | Obese |
5'0" | Obese |
5'1" | Obese |
5'2" | Obese |
5'3" | Obese |
5'4" | Obese |
5'5" | Obese |
5'6" | Obese |
5'7" | Obese |
5'8" | Obese |
5'9" | Obese |
5'10" | Obese |
5'11" | Obese |
6'0" | Obese |
6'1" | Overweight |
6'2" | Overweight |
6'3" | Overweight |
6'4" | Overweight |
6'5" | Overweight |
6'6" | Overweight |
6'7" | Healthy weight |
6'8" | Healthy weight |
6'9" | Healthy weight |
6'10" | Healthy weight |
6'11" | Healthy weight |
7'0" | Healthy weight |
Here are some examples of what a 221 lbs female looks like
![A photo of a 5'9" woman showing a weight reduction from 220 pounds to 205 pounds. A respectable loss of 15 pounds. A photo of a 5'9" woman showing a weight reduction from 220 pounds to 205 pounds. A respectable loss of 15 pounds.](https://myprogresspics.com/storage/images/5a0nLRn_optimized_1x.jpg)
A Reddit User's Weight Loss Journey: Encouragement, Persistence, and a Strong Desire for Change
![A picture of a 5'6" female showing a weight loss from 220 pounds to 155 pounds. A respectable loss of 65 pounds. A picture of a 5'6" female showing a weight loss from 220 pounds to 155 pounds. A respectable loss of 65 pounds.](https://myprogresspics.com/storage/images/sdam2e5rb9371_optimized_1x.jpg)
F/25/5'6: 65Lbs Weight Loss in 2 Years a Female's Fitness Journey
![A progress pic of a 5'7" woman showing a fat loss from 255 pounds to 220 pounds. A net loss of 35 pounds. A progress pic of a 5'7" woman showing a fat loss from 255 pounds to 220 pounds. A net loss of 35 pounds.](https://myprogresspics.com/storage/images/L2cdiIW_optimized_1x.jpg)
F/21/5'7 [255Lbs > 220 Lbs = 35Lbs] a Reddit User's Inspiring Weight Loss Journey
![A before and after photo of a 5'8" female showing a weight reduction from 220 pounds to 180 pounds. A net loss of 40 pounds. A before and after photo of a 5'8" female showing a weight reduction from 220 pounds to 180 pounds. A net loss of 40 pounds.](https://myprogresspics.com/storage/images/pjwi0o9se2f71_optimized_1x.jpg)
40Lb 2 Year Weight Journey of Reddit User F/23/5’8!