Risk Assessment · 5 min read

Why Asian-Indian BMI cut-offs change your workforce risk picture

Last updated 4 August 2026

Key takeaway

A BMI of 24 is 'normal' globally but overweight for Indian bodies. Using the right cut-offs typically doubles the flagged population — and that is a good thing.

By the Plan My Health corporate health team

Why Asian-Indian BMI cut-offs change your workforce risk picture

Global BMI thresholds were derived from largely Caucasian cohorts. Indians carry more visceral fat at the same BMI, which is why the ICMR and WHO Asia-Pacific guidance sets overweight at 23 and obesity at 25.

When a wellness programme switches to Asian-Indian cut-offs, the flagged population usually grows sharply. HR teams sometimes read this as a worse result; in reality it is earlier detection of cardiometabolic risk that would otherwise surface as a claim five years later.

Practical steps: re-score your last checkup data with Indian cut-offs, layer waist circumference (90 cm men / 80 cm women), and route the newly flagged cohort into a 12-week lifestyle track rather than a clinical referral.

Plan My Health delivers health risk assessment for employees, HRA for insurers and brokers and corporate health checkup packages for companies across India — talk to our corporate health team for a proposal matched to your workforce.