Common Questions: BMI Children

What is the normal BMI for a child?

How do you calculate a child's BMI?

What is a good BMI for a girl? (How about a boy?)

What should my child’s weight percentile be?

Does BMI change depending on age?

Common Questions: BMI Children

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For children, BMI is presented as a percentile, which plots the child’s BMI next to other children of the same age and sex. Falling between the 5th and 85th percentiles is considered normal and healthy.

What is the normal BMI for a child?

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First, measure your child’s height and weight, ideally when the child is not wearing shoes or bulky clothes. Then, put those numbers, plus the child’s age and sex, into the CDC’s BMI Calculator for Child and Teen to determine his or her BMI.

How do you calculate a child's BMI?

Common Questions: BMI Children

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No matter if the child is male or female, a healthy BMI is one that puts them between the 5th and 85th percentiles when compared with their peers.

What is a good BMI for a girl? (How about a boy?)

Common Questions: BMI Children

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There aren’t guidelines around weight specifically. Since children are growing, it’s important to factor in height, age, sex, and weight in order to determine if a child’s body weight is considered healthy.

What should my child’s weight percentile be?

Common Questions: BMI Children

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Yes, BMI changes with age. Your child’s doctor will likely calculate his or her BMI at each routine appointment in order to track his or her growth.

Does BMI change depending on age?

Common Questions: BMI Children