Body Mass Index Children US

BMI children US

This module calculates Body Mass Index for children from age 2 to age 18 and classifies the result according to the guidelines given by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. It also has an optional evaluation of height in relation to age.

Instructions:
1. Enter values for gender, height and weight.
2. The result is interpreted within four categories: Underweight (<5th percentile), Healthy weight (5th-85th percentile), Overweight (85th-95th percentile) and Obese (>95th percentile).
3. To evaluate height in relation to age click the "Evaluate height button"
4. Please note, that BMI is only a very rough predictor for overweight in individuals.

Background

For adults, the body mass index limits for overweight and obesity are straight forward (overweight = BMI > 25 and obesity = BMI > 30). For children this is much more complicated as the limits vary a lot depending on age. This calculator uses the US guidelines that are based on fixed percentiles from a large reference population.

A BMI of 20 indicates obesity in a 6 year old girl, whereas it would represent healthy weight for a 13 year old girl. However, as growth of children varies, the final evaluation should always be based on a several factors including physical growth, muscularity and subcutaneous fat deposits.

The calculator also includes the possibility to evaluate height in relation to age. If the child/youth scores in the high percentile range on height (above average) this could indicate that physical development is ahead of chronological age. As higher BMI is expected with increasing age (above age 6), this information can assist in a qualified evaluation of BMI.

References

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). BMI - Body Mass Index: BMI for Children and Teens.

Mei Z, Grummer-Strawn LM, Pietrobelli A, Goulding A, Goran MI, Dietz WH. Validity of body mass index compared with other body-composition screening indexes for the assessment of body fatness in children and adolescents. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2002;7597–985.

Hammer LD, Kraemer HC, Wilson DM, Ritter PL, Dornbusch SM. Standardized percentile curves of body-mass index for children and adolescents. American Journal of Disease of Child. 1991; 145:259–263.

Pietrobelli A, Faith MS, Allison DB, Gallagher D, Chiumello G, Heymsfield, SB. Body mass index as a measure of adiposity among children and adolescents: A validation study. Journal of Pediatrics. 1998; 132:204–210.

Comments

#81 Charlotte 2013-05-18 22:08

I'm 13 5'2 and 120 lbs. is this bad?

#80 Elizabeth 2013-05-17 01:22

Hi I'm 13 years old, I have a BMI of 16.4, i weigh 84 pounds and 5 foot tall, am I underweight, my bday is on feb. 20. I actually eat all the time...

#79 Isis 2013-05-13 17:11

I'm 16, 5'5, and weigh 97 lbs. Is this healthy? I feel fat and would like to lose more weight.

#78 cath 2013-05-10 05:55

Useful guiding tool, esp if you have family members who are worried about their weight, can be used to reassure as if you see someone everyday it is difficult to be objective. BUT the use of the term 'normal weight' is misleading and unhelpful, and the fact that it is only an average is not repeated enough, I know if my teenage daughter looked at this and found she was in the overweight section, that in itself would be enough to send her into a spiral of depression and self harm. A little knowledge really can be a dangerous thing. Anyone worried about their weight should seek expert advice and not rely on internet self diagnosis tools, everyone is different

#77 laura 2013-05-05 17:59

only like 5 pounds away from perfect weight

#76 Simon 2013-04-27 08:24

WOOOOOOOO!!!!!! !!!! So happy I'm 11 years old, 5'0 and my BMI is 40. YAY

#75 awkward 2013-04-25 01:39

Quoting Jessica:

Okay It says healthy weight but they are wrong :) I am 17 years old and my pants size is 0 !! It means I am SEVERELY UNDERWEIGHT ( ANOREXIC ). :D

I'm a size 0 too and that doesn't mean you are severely underweight okay it just means you're thin so yeah you're healthy

#74 Smile 2013-04-01 17:51

Quoting Andrew:

My BMI is 26.5, It say's I'm obese. That is wrong.

13 years old, 5'10", 185lbs

26.5 is not bad :) Wear black t-shirts and hide your stomach you look better :D

#73 Jessica 2013-04-01 17:30

Okay It says healthy weight but they are wrong :) I am 17 years old and my pants size is 0 !! It means I am SEVERELY UNDERWEIGHT ( ANOREXIC ). :D

#72 Andrew 2013-04-01 17:26

My BMI is 26.5, It say's I'm obese. That is wrong.

13 years old, 5'10", 185lbs

#71 Tori 2013-03-30 08:18

When I was 10 yrs old, I was 4'9'' and I weighed 54lbs. I wasn't even a percentile I was so underweight. How on earth did I live through that? (I was not anorexic, I lived in an abusive home) luckily enough, I did live, ad my weight doubled by the time I was 15. I have a picture of me from when I was 11 and I was scrawny, but I was still healthier then than I was 10. All of my bones stuck out. don't abuse your kids.

#70 Happy Jump 2013-03-10 18:18

Quoting -----:

I'm 9 and my bmi is: 19.70
I'm 4' 8"
I'm 88 lbs.
I'm on the 91st percentile
I'm OVERweight. ???? :sad:

The calculator is wrong because It's average. If you have muscle or heavy bones. It can show you overweight or obese. Try to measure your body fat.

#69 assec 2013-03-03 07:16

39 kg, 151 cm,

#68 Kristie 2013-02-28 16:03

My son is 5'6" and 85lbs and isn't really even chunky, yet this says he is obese. What a crock...

#67 STUPID FAT KID 2013-01-31 03:13

i'm so stupid fat overweight and obiese if u looked at me i dont look that stupid fat omg i hate myself i not gonna eat for a week!!!!!!!!!!! !!!

#66 sammi 2012-12-20 21:35

(sammi) yeah 13yrs old 5'3in and still underweight thank u god.

#65 Jennifer 2012-12-08 02:41

Quoting Darrell Jackson:

Hi, I love this resource. I calculated my daughter's bmi and it was in the 20ths, which is way to high. Thanks again for sharing this.

Darrell
.

Ummm.... 20ths??? What is this father going to do to his daughter? He is about to make ME cry...

#64 Nicole 2012-12-07 03:43

135 pounds and 5'9. It says I'm underweight.

#63 #abbs 2012-10-16 22:13

oh i get it now oops!

#62 #abbs 2012-10-16 22:12

4'11 64lbs 13yrs
12.9 wow suprising but good i like the way i look that is all that matters

#61 abbs 2012-10-16 22:08

13 yrs 4'11 64lbs 12.9
normal!?good but un expectedI cant wear any juniors cloths they are all to big :P that is ok i love the way i look that is all that matters

#60 #7pixy stick 2012-10-16 22:03

I am teased at school becuz i is under weight lol i aint but they need to tell that to the junoirs department of clothes cus i can wear squatt its all too big 4'11 64lbs my bmi is 12.9 I am still considerd a skinny nerd at school but that is okay i am healthy happy there is several boys iknow who r perfectly fine with the way i look AND SO AM I that is all that count thank u for ur time

#59 abbs 2012-10-16 21:52

Quoting fattymcfat:

im so fat D:

If you dwell over your weight like "fatty mcfat" you will never get enough confidence to loose that weight . Besides what you look like on the outside does not count it is on the inside

#58 abbs 2012-10-16 21:47

Quoting Maxwell:

im 13 years of age now i weight 76kg my mum tells me im not over weight but i need opinions ?!???!

NO chick i have seen a eleven year old girl out wiegh my 180lbs dad ur fine i promise

#57 luren 2012-08-21 17:03

im 64th percetile :-) and for all you people going woo hoo im underweight! that isnt good its just as unhealthy as being overweight and just so you know it aint pretty when yo ribs are sticking out lookin like a skeleton.

#56 Megafat 2012-07-26 09:09

I doodled with the BMI. Lol Im 18 and obese Woot!

#55 fattie 2012-07-25 17:56

I'm overweight, which pretty obvious, you can tell just by looking at me :/ Oh well, I'm a fattie and I'm proud!!!
Fatties everywhere, Join Me in being a fattie and proud!!! :P

#54 z 2012-07-25 02:40

im overweight. I'm so close to tears.

#53 shell 2012-07-20 16:58

underweight! xD 1st percentile

#52 Lindsey 2012-06-26 00:00

I'm 16
5'4
86 pounds
BMI 14.8
Haha says Im under weight and in the 0 percentile.
I feel healthy and happy.
I think BMI calculators are bogus.
Don't hate on your weight if you feel good and like how you look. :-)
Overweight or Underweight, it don't matter as long as you are happy!

#51 Vivi 2012-05-19 04:25

15 years old... 5'3"... 100lbs... HEALTHY (:

#50 eryk 2012-05-09 05:28

5,2 120pounds 16 years old getting close to fat but still at healthy mark.....does it matter if you workout?

#49 Hawaiian 2012-05-03 03:45

6'4
225
17yrs
pretty cut
should i lose weight?

#48 DUDO 2012-04-19 05:59

Ahhh Im 5'5 and 142

overweight

#47 Ally cat 102698 2012-03-10 17:54

IM 13.5 YEARS OLD, 90 PONDS AND 5'4. IM PERFECT AND HHEEAALLTTHHYY, I RUN ALMOST EVERYDAY AND EAT LLOOTTSS OF HEALTHY FOOD! I DONT CARE WHAT U SAY, I AM NOOOOT UNDERWEIGHT!

#46 a girl 2012-03-09 06:33

i am obes not supried

#45 MISTA JACKSON 2012-03-04 21:19

Male
13.5
5ft 10
125

Healthy weight =) I guess maybe a little too skinny.

#44 Lauren 2012-02-27 00:27

Omg I got obese

#43 Brianna 2012-02-23 19:59

I'm average weight :sad: I am 13 and 5'1 and 94-95 pounds. I dance about 13 hours a week, which means I'm very athletic. I have been trying to only eat about 1,200 calories a day, but I'm still not losing weight! I really want to lose 5 pounds. I have very low body fat, but I still am very self conscious. Should I try to loose weight or not?

#42 Maxwell 2012-01-14 11:18

im 13 years of age now i weight 76kg my mum tells me im not over weight but i need opinions ?!???!

#41 Maxwell 2012-01-14 11:18

im 13 years of age now i weight 76kg my mum tells me im not over weight but i need opinions ?!???!

#40 loves.chocolate 2011-12-15 15:00

YAY!!!! Im normal weight!!! Somethings ar etrue, im medicly normsl, but some saqid overweight, and some said obase!!!!! And the one on my phone saids +8 kg!, i need to loose 8, not gain em! Hope this ones wright ;-)

#39 The Nations Health 2011-12-12 07:07

It is important to understand that the calculator considers an ideal (average) variant of weight of a child. If the body mass have +500g every month or has not changes at all, in this case, of course, it is desirable to consult with the personal doctor, because the Nation's Health is most important. nation-health.blogspot.com/

#38 secret 2011-12-01 08:35

this calculator says that anything under 15.4 is underweight, and that anything over 22.5 is overweight.
However, the other one says that anything lower than 18 is underweight, and anything over 25 is overweight. talk about inaccurate.

#37 Marina 2011-11-28 03:02

I'm 15, 5'4, 113, woohoo. At a healthy/normal wieght. YAY ME! still going to keep exercising lightly daily though cause it good for yous! :3 Now i shall go get an juicy apple from the kitchen.

#36 Anitaaa: 2011-11-20 07:10

im 13, 5 feet and 1/4th inches , and 90 pounds.. im in the lower part of normal weight and i wish i was underweight. ugh! i think i got a problemm.. lmao

#35 fattymcfat 2011-11-18 19:51

im so fat D:

#34 Mandy 2011-11-13 18:49

I'm underweight yay woooo hooo

#33 anonymous 2011-10-23 11:47

I'm 11 and 11 months old and my bmi is 19.5. I'm 160 cm and about 49-50 kg i'm quite happy about my bmi :-)

#32 ronnie 2011-10-19 23:24

i am 86 pounds and 5 foot and 10 im normal

#31 anonymous 2011-08-20 22:15

This is to everyone, kids and adults you shouldn't hate yourself if your over-weight or obese you should say i like the way i am no matter what anyone says but still you should try your best, by exercising and eating healthy to reduce. Im 10 btw :D

#30 anonymous 2011-08-20 22:13

Im 10 and half years old, i weigh 54 kilos and is 162 cm tall some BMI scales say that's normal this one says its overweight which one is right?

#29 Jake borene 2011-04-23 07:38

Hello is a bmi of in the 21 range too high. under 25 is good for adults but it's different for kids. that's why a lot of people bother that their child is at a healthy weight but they don't know that it's different for kids and its even different for kids who are at different ages. The reason why it's different for kids is because of the amount of body fat that changes by age and the difference of body fat between boys and girls. The calculator involves percentiles. Percentiles tell you which place your bmi is compared to the people who are at your age and gender. 1st to 4th percentile is the underweight category. 5th to 84th is healthy weight. 85th to 94th is overweight. 95th to 100th is obese. There may be children who are thin who are still told that they're overweight or obese if they're very young children. There are CDC percentile charts that tell you what bmi is in which category for your age. The charts are like graphs and there is a chart for boys and girls. They are used for kids who are at least two years of age but less than 20 years old. If you take a look at the charts then you'll understand how they are graphed. The definitions have also been changed. It's still called underweight for children and adults but it's called healthy weight as Normal for kids, at risk of becoming overweight as overweight for kids, and overweight as obese for kids. The reason why they say overweight for children at risk of becoming overweight is because you would be at risk of becoming an overweight adult because overweight children are likely to become overweight adults. And they say overweight for children as obese because obese children have a high chance of becoming at least overweight that's high enough to be told that he or she will become at least overweight

#28 Darrell Jackson 2011-04-07 14:12

Hi, I love this resource. I calculated my daughter's bmi and it was in the 20ths, which is way to high. Thanks again for sharing this.

Darrell
.

#27 cj1970 2011-04-02 20:02

I think this is so very sad to see young kids saying they hate themselfs by doing their body weight with this tool, where is someone to chat them through it to try to help, they shoudln't hate themself because of this u change ur whole life easp from 10 to 20 reading this has made me not want to go onto these sites to read children hating themselfs their bodies, I don't see how they can possible be rated on some tool on a computer every child is different and their weight changes why is there no one to talk to them to help, don't leave them hurting like this i think this is just awful and won't go on this again ! Kids DON'T HATE YOURSELF OVER WEIGHT IT CAN CHANGE U CAN CHANGE IT , AND IT JUST MAY ON ITS OWN Im 40 and i have gone up and down since a child my weight is normal and I had a weight problem as a child both low and high , so don't worry !!!! love yourself the best u can thats the best way to deal with any problem Take care CJ

#26 kay 2011-03-11 01:44

IM UNDERWEIGHT?!

#25 ThinMe 2011-03-09 20:54

I'm a lean mean killing machine!

#24 Jake Borene 2011-02-26 06:39

I am 12 years and 2 months old. I am 60.5 inches and 107.2 pounds. Am I at risk of being overweight for a kid.

#23 Over weight 2011-02-08 22:14

Woooo!! IM 10 YEARS OLD AND I WEIGH 200 POUNDS!! CRAPP IM GOING TO DIE OF OBEISITY!! SEE YOU IN AFTERLIFE!

#22 ----- 2011-01-02 22:32

I'm 9 and my bmi is: 19.70
I'm 4' 8"
I'm 88 lbs.
I'm on the 91st percentile
I'm OVERweight. ???? :sad:

#21 ME:D 2010-11-09 20:00

Great! I'm 16 years old, 189 pouds and 5.7 feet!:D OBEEESE!:D XD

#20 Morten Z 2010-09-20 15:53

The calculator has now been been updated with the latest terminology used (thanks Tracy). The percentile limits used have not changed, but the definition changes are:

Underweight -> Underweight
Normal weight -> Healthy weight
Risk of overweight -> Overweight
Overweight -> Obese

#19 Morten Z 2010-09-19 22:05

Tracy - Thanks for adding your comment. This calculator is precise and based on the CDC growth charts. I have responded to your email, so we can clear out any misunderstandin gs.

#18 Tracy Flood MD/PhD 2010-09-19 17:19

This Calculator is WRONG! Kids - Do not use! See CDC Percentile charts!

#17 XxhugsxXonstardoll 2010-08-19 03:33

YAY!
I'M9
5'5
AND 88 POUNDS!
;-) WOOO HOOO
:-)
:D

#16 hannah 2010-07-31 08:42

just overweight:sad:

i knew it was coming. 41 kg for a 10 year old:sad:

#15 Fucker 2010-07-19 06:12

my bmi 18.3 yay not obese

#14 Huzaifa 2010-07-14 09:53

I'm 10 years old weight 60 kg height 71 cm. I hate myself.

#13 rapidshare download 2010-07-07 17:30

why it is normal weight??

#12 Nikki 2010-06-26 10:49

x] im normal weight.
11.5 years old, 155cm tall and 40kg.
16.6 BMI ;-)

#11 hannah 2010-06-25 18:51

im at risk of being overweight but im not botherd because iv started good excersize and iv lost a lot of weight and im 13 but i dont think im really that fat

#10 rhiannon 2010-05-06 03:36

im obese,and im 10 yrs old.i hate myself!

#9 Sophia 2010-04-29 03:32

I' at risk of being overweight ow do i get to a normal weight again???

#8 josh 2010-03-30 23:30

=) all the way lad normal weight... proven the boys on ma bus wrong im not huge with 24 chins!!! XD

#7 Mona 2010-03-29 12:18

It seems to me you can determine it just looking at the child. If a child or anyone else has weight problems it can be easily noniced. I also know that there are some formulae which calculates the normal weight. I've read about it in a book which I found at rapidshare SE rapidpedia.com . It was about healthy food. Just eat healthy food and You'll never bother about your weight.

#6 sarah !! 2010-02-03 01:19

WOOT WOOT ! normal weight

#5 Bria 2010-02-01 04:11

boo hoo i am at risk of being over weight (time to lay off the junk)

#4 jenny 2010-01-26 02:39

yay... normal weight!!!

#3 randomperson 2009-12-19 22:29

Overweight. TT_TT

#2 Mike 2009-12-19 02:26

YAY im normal weight and its not good to be under weight!

#1 Giina 2009-04-03 10:51

:DLol hhaha im under weight WOOO! go me;-)

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