The meaning of BMI for women is somewhat different than BMI for men. The reason is simple. We just aren’t alike when it comes to physique.
Women in a rule keep more fat in their body than men. Women generally have a greater body fat percentage than men. Where men naturally have a higher percentage of lean muscle mass than women. A higher outcome in the BMI chart for women is much worse for you as a woman than it is for men.
Your BMI does not say enough about your waist size and whether it is healthy or unhealthy. BMI is a good way to find out if your underweight despite your amount of body fat or muscles. If you want to know more about health risk, it is an option to measure your waist circumference or your body fat. The body fat percentage considered ‘acceptable’ for women is approximately double then what is allowed for men.