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

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.ĥth percentile to less than the 85th percentileĮqual to or greater than the 95th percentile The growth charts show the weight status categories used with children and teens (underweight, healthy weight, overweight, and obese). The percentile shows the relative position of the child’s BMI number among children of the same sex and age. Percentiles are the most commonly used indicator to assess the size and growth patterns of individual children in the United States. The BMI is not used by itself when evaluating possible obesity in children and teens. 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. 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.įor children and teens, BMI calculated based on age and sex and is often called BMI-for-age.

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 is a reliable indicator of body fat for most people. Cancer Clinical Trials Online Educationīody Mass Index (BMI) is a number calculated from a person’s weight and height. Boys simplified field tables- BMI-for-age: Birth to 2 years (percentiles) Boys simplified field tables- BMI-for-age: 2 to 5 years (percentiles) Expanded tables for constructing national health cards.

Children's bmi calculation