Pediatric BMI & CDC Percentiles Explained
In children and teens (ages 2 through 19), body composition changes constantly with growth and differs markedly between boys and girls. Therefore, fixed adult BMI numbers (18.5, 25, 30) do not apply to youth.
Instead, pediatricians evaluate youth health using CDC Growth Chart Percentiles, comparing a child's BMI against peers of the same age and biological sex:
- Underweight: Below the 5th percentile
- Healthy Weight: 5th percentile to less than the 85th percentile
- Overweight: 85th to less than the 95th percentile
- Obesity: Equal to or greater than the 95th percentile
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