Body Mass Index (BMI) for Children

 

CHILDREN BMI CALCULATOR

English Metric

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    Body Mass Index

    Body Mass Index (BMI) is a number calculated from a person’s weight and height. BMI is a reliable indicator of body fat for most people. BMI does not measure body fat directly, but research has shown that BMI correlates to direct measures of body fat, such as underwater weighing and dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA). BMI can be considered an alternative for direct measures of body fat and is an inexpensive and easy-to-perform method of screening for weight categories that may lead to health problems.

     
     

    Body Mass Index (BMI) for Children

    For children and teens, BMI calculated based on age and sex and is often called BMI-for-age. After BMI is calculated for children and teens, the BMI number is plotted on the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) BMI-for-age growth charts (for either girls or boys) to obtain a percentile ranking. The BMI is not used by itself when evaluating possible obesity in children and teens. Percentiles are the most commonly used indicator to assess the size and growth patterns of individual children in the United States. The percentile shows the relative position of the child’s BMI number among children of the same sex and age. The growth charts show the weight status categories used with children and teens (underweight, healthy weight, overweight, and obese). BMI tables for adults are not accurate for children and teens.BMI-for-age weight status categories and the corresponding percentiles are shown in the following table.

     
     

    Weight status category Percentile range
    Underweight Less than the 5th percentile
    Healthy weight 5th percentile to less than the 85th percentile
    Overweight 85th to less than the 95th percentile
    Obese Equal to or greater than the 95th percentile

     
     

    See the following example of how some sample BMI numbers would be interpreted for a 10-year-old boy.

     
     

    Growth chart example showing range of different BMI percentiles for height and age.

     
     

    To measure your child’s BMI, please enter his/her age, height and weight, and click the Calculate button.