Children BMI
This BMI calculator shows an initial information about the weight status of the child only. In any case, it is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice.
What is a percentile?
Percentile is a statistical parameter that determines where the measured value (weight, height, BMI, etc.) is found within the entire population of the same age and gender. Therefore, it expresses a relative position towards its peers. Each percentile represents one hundredth of the occurrence of the measured parameter within the whole population.
Example: A 10-year-old boy with a height at the 75th percentile is among the boys with above-average height. More precisely, this means that 25% of 10 year old boys are higher than him and 75% of 10-year-old boys are lower than him. Similarly, this applies to BMI and other parameters.
It is important to know that due to increasing obesity in childhood, these growth tables do not apply to today's (more obese) population, but to the values measured before the rise of obesity. In the case of CDC tables and graphs, the reference (ideal) measurement group was obtained in 1963-1965 and 1988-1994.
This BMI calculator provides initial information about the weight status of the child. In any case, it is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice. On the contrary, it is intended to bring the child for expert consultation if a deviation from the normal development of the child is detected. BMI is a parameter calculated from height and weight and only indirectly indicates the amount of fat in the body. More accurate assessment requires examination by a trained health professional.