BMI: Growth Charts for children*

In children and teens, body mass index is used to assess underweight, overweight and risk for overweight. Children’s body mass changes over the years as they grow. Girls and boys differ in their body mass as they mature. This is why BMI for children, also referred to as BMI-for-age, is gender and age specific. BMI-for-age is plotted on gender specific growth charts. These charts are used for children and teens 2-20 years of age.

Each of the CDC BMI-for-age gender specific charts contains a series of curved lines indicating specific percentiles. Healthcare professionals use the following established percentile cutoff points to identify underweight and overweight in children.

Weight Categories BMI-for-age

Underweight	< 5^th percentile
Target Weight	5^th percentile to < 85^th percentile
At risk of overweight	85^thpercentile to < 95^th percentile
Overweight	≥ 95^th percentile

* Source: www.cdc.gov