Obesity Calculator (Cont.)

Obesity Epidemic

What Do the Results From the Obesity Calculator for Children Mean?

For obesity calculator results in children and teens, the BMI number is plotted on the BMI-for-age growth charts (for either girls or boys) to obtain a percentile ranking. Percentiles are the most commonly used indicator to assess the size and growth patterns of individual children in the United States.

The percentile indicates 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.

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 5^th percentile
Healthy weight	5^th percentile up to the 85^thpercentile
At risk of overweight	85^th to less than the 95^th percentile
Overweight	Equal to or greater than the 95^th percentile

(Obesity Calculator Continued: Page 5)
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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD

Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD

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