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Do I have obesity? Weight and health in Canada

What your BMI and waist size mean under the Canadian obesity guideline, why the numbers are lower for some ethnic groups, and which health problems they point to.

GLP Guidebook teamUpdated 12 Oct 202610 min read25 sourcesWritten from published sources
The short answer

For most adults in Canada, a BMI of 25 to 29.9 counts as overweight and 30 or more as obesity. If your background is South, Southeast or East Asian, the Canadian guideline says risk starts at a BMI of 23. A waist of 102 cm (40 in) or more for men, or 88 cm (35 in) or more for women, also points to higher risk, with lower lines for Asian adults. BMI is a screening number, not a diagnosis.

Key facts

Overweight
BMI 25 to 29.9, or from 23 for South, Southeast and East Asian adults1
Obesity
BMI 30 or more1
Waist
  • Most adults: 102 cm (40 in) or more for men, 88 cm (35 in) or more for women1
  • South, Southeast and East Asian adults: 85 cm (33.5 in) for men, 75 cm (29.5 in) for women1
How common
33 in 100 Canadian adults (18 to 79) have obesity; 68 in 100 are overweight or have obesity (measured, 2022 to 2024)2
What 5–10% loss does
Lowers diabetes risk and improves blood sugar, blood pressure and liver fat3,4,5
What it doesn't decide
Whether you need a medicine. Medicines have their own label rules, and drug plans add their own.6,19
On this page
  1. What are the Canadian thresholds, and why are some lower?
  2. How do I check my BMI and waist?
  3. When is BMI misleading?
  4. What are "clinical" and "pre-clinical" obesity?
  5. Which health problems are linked to extra weight?
  6. What does losing 5–10% of your weight do?
  7. Is obesity my fault?
  8. Questions people ask

What are the Canadian thresholds, and why are some lower?

The Canadian Adult Obesity Clinical Practice Guideline, published with Obesity Canada, uses lower BMI thresholds for adults of South, Southeast or East Asian background. Many people in these groups carry more body fat, and face higher heart and diabetes risk, at a lower BMI.1

BMI (body mass index) is your weight compared with your height. The WHO's global cut-offs call a BMI of 25 overweight and 30 obesity, and Health Canada and the Canadian guideline use them for most adults.7,15,1 In 2004, a WHO expert group found that many Asian people already face high diabetes and heart risk below 25.8 The Canadian guideline follows that work for South, Southeast and East Asian adults.1 South Asians are the largest racialized group in Canada: about 2.6 million people, or 7 in 100 Canadians, in 2021.9

What it meansMost adultsSouth, Southeast or East Asian background
Healthy weightBMI 18.5 to 24.91BMI 18.5 to 22.91
OverweightBMI 25 to 29.91BMI 23 to 24.9 (at risk) and 25 to 29.9 (moderate risk)1
ObesityBMI 30 or more (class 1 from 30, class 2 from 35, class 3 from 40)1BMI 30 or more, labelled "severe risk"1
Waist: higher riskMen 102 cm (40 in) or more; women 88 cm (35 in) or more1Men 85 cm (33.5 in) or more; women 75 cm (29.5 in) or more1

Other backgrounds. The guideline says BMI can over- or underestimate body fat in Indigenous Peoples, South Asians, Chinese and other groups, and its waist table lists separate proposed values for several of them, including Canadian Aboriginal, Chinese, Korean, African and Latin American adults.1 Your doctor or nurse practitioner can tell you which applies to you.

Why it matters. Diabetes is more common in some communities. Diabetes Canada puts it at 16 in 100 adults of South Asian descent, 13 in 100 Black adults and 12.5 in 100 adults of Arab or West Asian descent (age-standardized rates). It is also more common among First Nations, Métis and Inuit adults than non-Indigenous adults.10

Why websites disagree. The Canadian guideline starts overweight at 23 for Asian adults but keeps 30 as the "severe risk" line.1 Guidelines in India use 25 as the obesity line for people living there.13 Many US sites use 25 and 30 for everyone.14 They all agree that risk starts earlier for many people of Asian heritage. See the Canadian obesity guideline explained, South Asian Canadians and GLP-1s, or the India version of this guide.

How do I check my BMI and waist?

Put your numbers in below. You need scales, a tape measure and your height. Nothing you type leaves your device.

cm
kg
cm
Sex

Your BMI and waist check appear here as you type. How to measure your waist

For adults 18 and over. It's a starting point, not a diagnosis: see when BMI is misleading. BMI bands and waist cut-offs from the Canadian Adult Obesity Clinical Practice Guideline1. Open the full checker (opens in a new tab) for teens, your healthy weight range and a summary to print.

Measuring your waist. The Canadian guideline describes this method:1

  • Take clothing off your waist and stand with your feet about shoulder width apart.
  • Find the bottom of your lowest rib and the top of your hip bone at your side. Put the tape halfway between the two, level all the way round.
  • Take two normal breaths. On the second breath out, pull the tape snug without digging in, and read it.

Waist size adds to BMI. The guideline says to measure your waist when your BMI is between 25 and 35.1 A large waist with a BMI under 35 points to higher risk of type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. Above a BMI of 35, risk is likely raised whatever your waist.1 Some guidelines also use waist-to-height ratio, and the Canadian medicines chapter lists it as one way to measure belly fat.6

Work it out by hand

BMI is your weight in kg divided by your height in metres, squared.1 Worked example. Sam is a man who is 170 cm (5 ft 7 in, or 1.70 m) tall and weighs 84 kg (185 lb).

  • 1.70 × 1.70 = 2.89
  • 84 ÷ 2.89 = a BMI of about 29.1
  • For most adults, that is overweight. For someone of South, Southeast or East Asian background, it is "overweight, moderate risk".1
  • Sam's waist is 96 cm (38 in). That is under the 102 cm line for most men, but over the 85 cm line for Asian men.1
What to do with your result. Write down your numbers and take them to your family doctor or nurse practitioner. The Canadian guideline asks them to ask your permission before talking about weight.1 Diabetes Canada recommends a diabetes test every 3 years from age 40, or sooner if you're at high risk.12 An HbA1c blood test (often written A1C in Canada) shows your average blood sugar over the last 2 to 3 months, so ask whether you need one.11 If you don't have a family doctor, the 811 nurse line in most provinces can tell you where to go. Guide 6 covers seeing a doctor, and our doctor visit checklist (opens in a new tab) helps you prepare.

When is BMI misleading?

BMI can't tell fat from muscle, and it doesn't show where fat sits. Health Canada recommends that obesity not be diagnosed on BMI alone.1

  • Muscular people can get an "overweight" BMI without much body fat. BMI overestimates fat in very muscular people.1
  • Older adults: many lose muscle with age, and BMI can then underestimate body fat.1,17
  • Pregnancy, physical disability, swelling and very tall or short people: the guideline says BMI is less accurate and should be read with caution.1
  • Children and teens: adult cut-offs don't apply.1 In Canada a child's BMI is plotted on the WHO Growth Charts for Canada for their age and sex. Between the 85th and 97th percentile suggests overweight, and above the 97th suggests obesity. (The 97th percentile is the line that 97 in 100 children of that age and sex sit below.)18 Your child's doctor or nurse can plot the numbers.
  • A "healthy" BMI with a large waist: the guideline says a larger waist with a normal BMI may mean fat stored around the organs, and higher heart and diabetes risk.1

The 2025 Lancet Commission (a panel organised by the medical journal The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology) also says BMI alone shouldn't be used to judge one person's health. It says to confirm extra fat with a second measure, like waist size.16

What are "clinical" and "pre-clinical" obesity?

They separate extra fat that is already harming your body from extra fat that isn't yet. The question is how your body is working, not just your weight.16

In January 2025, the Lancet Commission, a group of 58 experts, published a new definition. It has been endorsed by 76 organisations.16

  • Pre-clinical obesity: extra body fat, but your organs still work normally. Your risk of future illness is higher.16
  • Clinical obesity: extra fat is already affecting how your body works. Examples include breathlessness, or real limits on daily tasks like bathing or dressing.16

Canadian doctors have used a similar idea for years. The Edmonton Obesity Staging System, recommended in the Canadian guideline, grades obesity from stage 0 (no health effects yet) to stage 4 (severe disability) by its effect on your body, mind and daily life, not by weight.1

1Measure your BMI and waist
2Is there extra body fat? A high BMI plus a second measure, such as waist size, confirms it.
3Is the extra fat already affecting how your organs work, or limiting daily life?
NoPre-clinical obesityThe Commission advises health advice, regular check-ups and steps to lower the risk of future illness.
YesClinical obesityThe Commission advises timely treatment, chosen with a doctor after a full check-up.

Simplified from the 2025 Lancet Commission.16 This is an international definition. Canadian doctors use the guideline's BMI and waist thresholds and the Edmonton staging.1

These numbers describe your health risk. They don't decide whether you need a medicine. Weight-management medicines have their own rules. On their Health Canada labels, Wegovy and Zepbound start at a BMI of 30, or 27 with a weight-related health problem.19,20 The Canadian guideline uses the same numbers, and asks doctors to adjust them with ethnicity-specific BMI and waist measures.6 Paying is a separate question: as of 12 Oct 2026, no provincial drug plan covers Wegovy, Zepbound or Saxenda for weight management.21 Treatment can mean many things, from food and activity changes to medicines or surgery. See your options and when a GLP-1 may or may not fit. You can also try our self-check: Could it be an option for me? (opens in a new tab)

Which health problems are linked to extra weight?

The Canadian guideline calls obesity a chronic, progressive and relapsing disease. Extra body fat, especially around the belly, is linked to type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, sleep apnoea, joint pain, fatty liver and some cancers.1,7

Statistics Canada measures the height, weight and waist of a sample of Canadians in the Canadian Health Measures Survey. For 2022 to 2024 it found:2

33%of adults aged 18 to 79 with obesity, up from 25% in 2016 to 20192
68%of adults overweight or with obesity2
49%of adults with a waist above the Canadian risk lines (102 cm men, 88 cm women)2
4.0MCanadians with diagnosed diabetes in 2024, 10 in 100 people (Diabetes Canada estimate)10

The conditions, one by one

  • Type 2 diabetes and prediabetes. An HbA1c (A1C) blood test shows your average blood sugar over the last 2 to 3 months. Diabetes Canada calls 6.0% to 6.4% prediabetes, a higher risk of diabetes, and 6.5% or more is in the diabetes range.11 Diabetes Canada estimates that 30 in 100 Canadians live with diabetes or prediabetes.10
  • High blood pressure and heart disease. The guideline lists both among obesity-related diseases, and asks doctors to check blood pressure, blood sugar and blood fats.1
  • Fatty liver (MASLD). This is fat building up in the liver. Its new name is metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease.22 The guideline suggests a liver blood test where appropriate.1 It can improve with weight loss.5
  • Sleep apnoea, joint pain from wear (osteoarthritis), reflux, polycystic ovary syndrome and anxiety are all listed by the guideline as obesity-related chronic diseases.1
  • Some cancers. The WHO lists certain cancers among the health risks of obesity.7

What does losing 5–10% of your weight do?

For many people, losing 5–10% of body weight brings real health gains. For someone who weighs 90 kg (198 lb), that is about 4.5 to 9 kg (10 to 20 lb).4

These results come from food and activity programs, not medicines.3,4,5,23

  • Less diabetes. In the US Diabetes Prevention Program, the lifestyle group aimed to lose at least 7% of their weight. Their diabetes rate was 4.8 per 100 people a year, against 11.0 on dummy pills (pills with no medicine in them), a 58% drop.3
  • Every kilo counts. In the same trial, each kg (about 2 lb) lost cut diabetes risk by 16%.24
  • Diabetes can go into remission. In the DiRECT trial in the UK, people with type 2 diabetes followed a diet plan led by their family doctor's practice. After a year, 1 in 4 had lost 15 kg (33 lb) or more, and almost half no longer had diabetes. Among those who lost 15 kg or more, 86 in 100 were free of it.23
  • Better sugar and blood pressure. One study looked at people with type 2 diabetes. Those who lost 5–10% of their weight had about 3.5 times the odds of their HbA1c falling by half a percentage point or more (for example, from 7.5% to 7.0%), compared with people whose weight stayed the same. Blood pressure and blood fats improved too.4
  • Less liver damage. One study followed 293 people with liver inflammation caused by fat. Of those who lost 5% or more, 58% saw it clear. Among those losing 10% or more, 90% did.5

Bigger weight losses generally brought bigger gains in these studies.4,5 The Canadian guideline adds that the goal is better health, not just a lower number on the scale.6

Is obesity my fault?

No. Obesity is a long-term medical condition with many causes. It is not a lack of willpower.7,16

The WHO calls obesity a chronic disease. It comes from genes, brain signals, eating habits, access to healthy food, marketing and your surroundings.7 The Lancet Commission says blaming individuals isn't supported by the evidence.16

In 2020, experts from many countries signed a joint statement against weight stigma. They found it causes physical and mental harm.25 The Canadian guideline says many patients feel judged in clinics and then avoid care, and that stigma worsens health.1

The guideline asks health professionals to ask your permission before talking about your weight or weighing you, and to provide a private room for weigh-ins and the right-sized equipment, such as blood pressure cuffs and gowns.1 The new name for fatty liver also dropped "fatty", which most experts surveyed found stigmatising.22

Questions people ask

My BMI is 28. Do I have obesity?

Going by BMI alone, 28 is in the overweight range for most adults. If your background is South, Southeast or East Asian, the Canadian guideline calls 25 to 29.9 overweight with moderate risk.1 BMI is only a screening number, so check your waist too and talk to your family doctor or nurse practitioner.1

My BMI is healthy, but my waist is large. Should I worry?

It's worth checking. The Canadian guideline says a large waist can mean fat stored around the organs, even with a normal BMI. For most adults the risk lines are 102 cm (40 in) for men and 88 cm (35 in) for women; for South, Southeast and East Asian adults they are 85 cm and 75 cm.1

Why are the numbers lower for Asian Canadians?

Because many people of South, Southeast and East Asian background carry more body fat, and face higher heart and diabetes risk, at a lower BMI.1,8 The Canadian guideline starts overweight at 23 for them.1 See the Canadian thresholds.

Which blood test shows my diabetes risk?

HbA1c (often written A1C in Canada), which shows your average blood sugar over the last 2 to 3 months. 6.0% to 6.4% is prediabetes and 6.5% or more is in the diabetes range.11 The ranges are under linked health problems.

Can I use these numbers for my child?

No. Adult cut-offs don't apply to children. In Canada, a child's BMI is plotted on the WHO Growth Charts for Canada for their age and sex.18 See when BMI is misleading.

Does a high BMI mean I need a GLP-1 medicine?

No. BMI and waist describe risk. Medicines have their own Health Canada label rules, and drug plans add their own conditions.19,21 Guide 3 and Guide 4 cover your options and when a medicine may or may not fit.

Before you move on

  • For most adults, BMI 25 is overweight and 30 is obesity.
  • For South, Southeast and East Asian adults, risk starts at a BMI of 23.
  • Measure your waist: 102 cm for men and 88 cm for women, or 85 and 75 for Asian adults.
  • Clinical obesity means extra fat is already affecting your body.
  • Losing 5–10% of your weight can bring real health gains.
  • These numbers describe risk. They don't decide whether you need a medicine.
Your optionsShould I consider a GLP-1?Self-check quiz
Was this guide easy to understand?

Sources

  1. Rueda-Clausen CF, Poddar M, Lear SA, Poirier P, Sharma AM. Canadian Adult Obesity Clinical Practice Guidelines: Assessment of People Living with Obesity. Obesity Canada, Version 1, 4 August 2020 (Table 1 BMI classification, Table 2 waist cut-offs, Box 2 measuring the waist, Table 3 Edmonton Obesity Staging System). obesitycanada.ca (PDF)
  2. Statistics Canada. The prevalence of overweight and obesity is on the rise in Canada: new results from the Canadian Health Measures Survey, 2022 to 2024. The Daily, 2 October 2025 (measured height, weight and waist, adults 18 to 79). statcan.gc.ca
  3. Knowler WC et al.; Diabetes Prevention Program Research Group. Reduction in the incidence of type 2 diabetes with lifestyle intervention or metformin. N Engl J Med 2002;346:393–403. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa012512
  4. Wing RR et al.; Look AHEAD Research Group. Benefits of modest weight loss in improving cardiovascular risk factors in overweight and obese individuals with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care 2011;34:1481–6. doi:10.2337/dc10-2415
  5. Vilar-Gomez E et al. Weight loss through lifestyle modification significantly reduces features of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. Gastroenterology 2015;149:367–78. doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2015.04.005
  6. Pedersen SD, Manjoo P, Dash S, Jain A, Pearce N, Poddar M. Canadian Adult Obesity Clinical Practice Guideline: Pharmacotherapy for Obesity Management in Adults, 2025 update. Obesity Canada, Version 3, 11 August 2025 (recommendations 1 and 3, key messages). obesitycanada.ca (PDF)
  7. World Health Organization. Obesity and overweight (fact sheet). 8 December 2025. who.int
  8. WHO Expert Consultation. Appropriate body-mass index for Asian populations and its implications for policy and intervention strategies. Lancet 2004;363:157–63. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(03)15268-3
  9. Statistics Canada. South Asian population in Canada (Ethnicity, language and immigration thematic series, 89-657-X2025007): 2.57 million people, 7.1% of the population in 2021. statcan.gc.ca
  10. Diabetes Canada. Diabetes in Canada (2024 estimates, including age-standardized prevalence by ethnicity). Checked 12 October 2026. diabetes.ca
  11. Diabetes Canada Clinical Practice Guidelines Expert Committee. Definition, classification and diagnosis of diabetes, prediabetes and metabolic syndrome. Can J Diabetes 2018;42(Suppl 1):S10–S15 (A1C 6.0–6.4% prediabetes; 6.5% or more diabetes). Summary: pharmacists.ca
  12. Diabetes Canada Clinical Practice Guidelines. Screening and diagnosis: who should be screened, using the Canadian Diabetes Risk Questionnaire (CANRISK) (screening every 3 years from age 40 or in people at high risk). guidelines.diabetes.ca
  13. Misra A et al. Consensus statement for diagnosis of obesity, abdominal obesity and the metabolic syndrome for Asian Indians. J Assoc Physicians India 2009;57:163–70 (Indian cut-offs, for people living in India). PMID 19582986
  14. US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About body mass index (BMI). Updated 16 December 2025. cdc.gov
  15. Health Canada. Canadian Guidelines for Body Weight Classification in Adults: quick reference tool for professionals (BMI classes: overweight 25.0–29.9, obese class I 30.0–34.9, class II 35.0–39.9, class III 40 or more; waist 102 cm men, 88 cm women). canada.ca
  16. Rubino F et al. Definition and diagnostic criteria of clinical obesity (Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology Commission). Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol 2025;13:221–62. The Commission had 58 members; 56 are named as authors. Declared interests: most of the 56 authors declare payments from Novo Nordisk, and many also from Eli Lilly (paper's own declaration). doi:10.1016/S2213-8587(24)00316-4
  17. Batsis JA, Villareal DT. Sarcopenic obesity in older adults: aetiology, epidemiology and treatment strategies. Nat Rev Endocrinol 2018;14:513–37. doi:10.1038/s41574-018-0062-9
  18. Dietitians of Canada, Canadian Paediatric Society, College of Family Physicians of Canada, Community Health Nurses of Canada and Canadian Pediatric Endocrine Group. A health professional's guide for using the new WHO growth charts (WHO Growth Charts for Canada), 2014 (BMI-for-age: 85th to 97th percentile overweight; above 97th obesity). dietitians.ca (PDF)
  19. Novo Nordisk Canada. Wegovy (semaglutide injection) Product Monograph, Health Canada, revised 2 October 2026 (indications). Health Canada Drug Product Database
  20. Eli Lilly Canada. Zepbound (tirzepatide injection) Product Monograph, Health Canada, 11 June 2026 (indications). Health Canada Drug Product Database
  21. BC PharmaCare. Drug coverage decision: semaglutide (Wegovy), 18 December 2025 ("Non-benefit"; the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance ended negotiations without agreement on 1 December 2025). Status of all public plans checked 12 October 2026. gov.bc.ca (PDF)
  22. Rinella ME et al. A multisociety Delphi consensus statement on new fatty liver disease nomenclature. Hepatology 2023. Declared interests: 21 of 53 authors declare consulting, advisory or grant ties to Novo Nordisk and 5 to Eli Lilly (paper's own declaration). doi:10.1097/HEP.0000000000000520
  23. Lean MEJ, Leslie WS, Barnes AC et al. Primary care-led weight management for remission of type 2 diabetes (DiRECT): an open-label, cluster-randomised trial. Lancet 2018;391(10120):541–551. 306 people in Scotland and England. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(17)33102-1
  24. Hamman RF et al. Effect of weight loss with lifestyle intervention on risk of diabetes. Diabetes Care 2006;29:2102–7. doi:10.2337/dc06-0560
  25. Rubino F et al. Joint international consensus statement for ending stigma of obesity. Nat Med 2020;26:485–97. Declared interests: 15 of 36 authors declare ties to Novo Nordisk and 2 to Eli Lilly; Novo Nordisk was one of the sponsors of the meeting's travel costs (paper's own declaration). doi:10.1038/s41591-020-0803-x

Last checked 12 Oct 2026 · Next review due Jan 2027 · Report an error

How this guide was made. Written by the GLP Guidebook team from the sources above: the Canadian Adult Obesity Clinical Practice Guideline, Diabetes Canada guidance, Statistics Canada surveys and published trials. It's general information, not medical advice. Talk to your family doctor, nurse practitioner or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any treatment. In an emergency, call 911. For health advice that isn't an emergency, call 811 in most provinces and territories (Info-Santé 811 in Quebec). How we write