This had the effect of redefining approximately 29 million Americans, previously healthy, to overweight. definitions in line with World Health Organization guidelines, lowering the normal/overweight cut-off from BMI 27.8 to BMI 25. In 1998, the U.S. National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention brought U.S. The cut-off for observed risk varies based on populations and subpopulations both in Europe and Asia. People from different ethnic groups, populations, and descent have different associations between BMI, percentage of body fat, and health risks, with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease at BMIs lower than the WHO cut-off point for overweight, 25 kg/m 2, although the cut-off for observed risk varies among different populations. These recommended distinctions along the linear scale may vary from time to time and country to country, making global, longitudinal surveys problematic. Recent studies in Britain have indicated that females between the ages of 12 and 16 have a higher BMI than males of the same age by 1.0 kg/m 2 on average. Children with a BMI between the 85th and 95th percentile are considered to be overweight.

Instead of comparison against fixed thresholds for underweight and overweight, the BMI is compared against the percentiles for children of the same sex and age.Ī BMI that is less than the 5th percentile is considered underweight and above the 95th percentile is considered obese. It is calculated in the same way as for adults but then compared to typical values for other children of the same age. BMI Calculator by Age and Gender BMI in Children: aged 2 to 20īMI for age percentiles for girls 2 to 20 years of age. The BMI (Body Mass Index) in (kg/m 2) is equal to the mass in pounds (lbs) divided by the square height in inches (in) times 703:īMI (kg/m 2) = mass (lb) / height 2 (in) × 703 BMI CategoryīMIs under 20 and over 25 have been associated with higher all-causes mortality, with the risk increasing with distance from the 20–25 range. The BMI (Body Mass Index) in (kg/m 2) is equal to the mass in kilograms (kg) divided by the square height in meters (m): Obesity and bmi BMI Categories Table BMI Category The dashed lines represent subdivisions within a major class.īMIs under 20 and over 25 have been associated with higher all-cause mortality, with the risk increasing with distance from the 20–25 range. A graph of body mass index as a function of body mass and body height.

Bmi calculator by age and gender