The Child & Teen BMI Calculator (Body Mass Index) is a tool designed to assess whether a child or teenager is within a healthy weight range for their age and height. BMI is a measure of body fat based on height and weight, and it’s often used as an indicator of potential health risks associated with being underweight, overweight, or obese.
Body Mass Index (BMI) measures body fat based on height and weight. It is calculated by dividing a person’s weight in kilograms by the square of their height in meters. BMI is calculated similarly for children and teens but then compared to growth charts to determine percentile rankings based on age and gender.
BMI is important for children and teens because it can help identify potential weight-related health issues early on. It serves as a screening tool to assess whether a child or teen is underweight, normal weight, overweight, or obese, which can guide further evaluation and intervention if necessary.
BMI for children and teens is interpreted differently than for adults. Instead of using fixed thresholds for underweight, normal weight, overweight, and obese, BMI percentiles are used.