Healthy weight ranges change as height increases.Healthy weight ranges change with each month of age for each sex.Healthy weight ranges cannot be provided for children and teens for the following reasons: Why can’t healthy weight ranges be provided for children and teens? In the charts above the areas are coloured in red. This means, 10% of the children are overweight. P3 means, that 3% of the children have a lower BMI. P50 means, that 50% of the children have a higher and 50% have a lower BMI. The charts have the age from left to right and the BMI from bottom to top. These shows the spreading of the Body Mass Index with age as reference.

It is not appropriate to use the BMI categories for adults to interpret BMI numbers for children and teens. The adult calculator provides only the BMI number and not the BMI age- and sex-specific percentile that is used to interpret BMI and determine the weight category for children and teens. The Why Weight Ireland BMI growth charts below take into account these differences and allow translation of a BMI number into a percentile for a child’s sex and age. The amount of body fat differs between girls and boys.The amount of body fat changes with age.For children and teens, BMI age and sex specific percentiles are used for two reasons: Is BMI interpreted the same way for children and teens as it is for adults?Īlthough the BMI number is calculated the same way for children and adults, the criteria used to interpret the meaning of the BMI number for children and teens are different from those used for adults. These assessments might include skinfold thickness measurements, evaluations of diet, physical activity, family history, and other appropriate health screenings.

For example, a child may have a high BMI for age and sex, but to determine if excess fat is a problem, a health care provider would need to perform further assessments. Why Weight Ireland recommends the use of BMI to screen for overweight and obesity in children beginning at 2 years old.įor children, BMI is used to screen for obesity, overweight, healthy weight, or underweight. How is BMI used with children and teens?īMI is used as a screening tool to identify possible weight problems for children. The growth charts show the weight status categories used with children and teens (underweight, healthy weight, overweight, and obese). The percentile indicates the relative position of the child’s BMI number among children of the same sex and age. Percentiles are the most commonly used indicator to assess the size and growth patterns of individual children in Ireland. What is a BMI percentile?Īfter BMI is calculated for children and teens, the BMI number is plotted on the Why Weight Ireland BMI growth charts below (for either girls or boys) to obtain a percentile ranking. BMI is a reliable indicator of body fatness for most children and teens.

Body Mass Index (BMI) is a number calculated from a child’s weight and height. Use the below charts to calculate your child’s current BMI and once you get your child’s BMI you can further check the charts further below to see what your child’s percentile is. The formula of calculating the BMI for children is the same as for adult people. Although BMI is used to screen for overweight and obesity in children and teens, BMI is not a diagnostic tool. Why Weight Ireland recommends the use of Body Mass Index (BMI) to screen for overweight and obesity in children and teens aged 2 through 18 years. How can I tell if my child is overweight or obese?

Bmi calculation for children