Child & Teen BMI Calculator
Calculate BMI-for-age for ages 2–19 using CDC sex-specific growth-chart data and report percentile/category without applying adult thresholds.
Enter or adjust the values above, then calculate.
Child & Teen BMI: bMI-for-Age Percentile
Calculate BMI-for-age for ages 2–19 using CDC sex-specific growth-chart data and report percentile/category without applying adult thresholds.
Inputs this tool uses
- Age
- Additional months
- Sex used by the formula
- Height
- Weight
What you get
BMI 24.2 — Obesity by CDC BMI-for-age screening categories.
How to use the Child & Teen BMI Calculator
- Enter age, additional months, sex used by the formula and the other fields relevant to this calculation.
- Select any method, activity level or option shown on this page, then choose Calculate.
- Read the main result together with the supporting values, method, assumptions and limitations below before using the estimate.
How this calculation works
The page first calculates BMI. Child and teen interpretation is age- and sex-specific and must use CDC BMI-for-age reference data rather than adult thresholds.
Example calculation
The sample values loaded into the calculator produce 96.7th percentile. This example exists to show how the output is structured; replace the sample values with your own inputs for your calculation.
Assumptions and limitations
- Anthropometric formulas are estimates and can differ from direct clinical measurements.
- Results are educational screening/reference values and do not diagnose health conditions.
Sources and review status
Source set last verified 2026-09-25. No clinician review is claimed unless a real named reviewer is displayed.
Questions people ask about Child & Teen BMI Calculator
Why does child BMI need age and sex?
For ages 2–19, BMI is interpreted against age- and sex-specific CDC growth references. Adult BMI cutoffs should not be used for children or teens.
What does a BMI-for-age percentile mean?
It compares the calculated BMI with the CDC reference distribution for children of the same age and sex. Growth patterns should be interpreted in clinical context rather than from one measurement alone.
Connected tools
Continue with the closest related calculation without re-entering sensitive values automatically.
Calculate adult BMI from height and weight, show the CDC adult category, and explain why BMI is a screening measure rather than a diagnosis.
Open tool →◒Healthy Weight CalculatorEstimate the adult body-weight range corresponding to BMI 18.5–24.9 for a supplied height.
Open tool →◒Ideal Weight CalculatorCompare Devine, Robinson, Miller and Hamwi reference-weight formulas rather than presenting one “perfect” weight.
Open tool →