This ideal body weight calculator for children is a helpful tool for determining if your kids are maintaining a healthy body weight. It’s intended for kids and teens from 2-19 years old.
The Body Mass Index (BMI) is an ideal body weight formula that measures the relationship between body weight and height. It’s a reliable predictor of body fatness for most kids and teens, and it’s easy to calculate.
Unlike adults, the BMI for children is age- and gender-specific. That’s because the amount of body fat changes with age, and the amount of fat differs between boys and girls.
When the BMI is calculated for kids, the BMI value is plotted on a BMI-for-age growth chart to obtain a percentile ranking. This ranking indicates how the child’s BMI number ranks among other children of the same age and sex.
There are separate charts for boys and girls which take into account gender differences.
The growth charts are useful screening tools to determine if a child is underweight, at a healthy weight, overweight, or obese. If the chart indicates an area of concern, further assessments by a health professional need to be performed.
An ideal body weight calculator for adults recommends an optimal weight range; however, healthy weight ranges can’t be provided for children and teens for two main reasons:
- The range changes with each month of age.
- The range changes as height increases.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) provides BMI-for-age growth charts that you can download and use.
Here’s an example of a colored version of a boy’s chart and how you would interpret its findings.
To determine the ideal weight for children, follow these simple steps:
- Measure your child’s height and weight.
- Input the height and weight measurements into the BMI Calculator for Kids.
- Plot the BMI value on the appropriate CDC BMI-for-Age Growth Chart to find a percentile value.
- Determine the weight status of your child from the following table based on the child’s percentile ranking.
Ideal Body Weight Calculator Results
| Weight Status Category | Percentile Range |
|---|---|
| Underweight | Less than the 5th percentile |
| Healthy weight | 5th percentile to less than the 85th percentile |
| Overweight | 85th percentile to less than the 95th percentile |
| Obese | Equal to or greater than the 95th percentile |
So, do you think your kids need to lose a few pounds?
One of the best ways to reach and maintain a healthy weight is to get plenty of regular physical activity. But don’t worry… exercise can be fun.
We’ve got some free kids sports activities that will make burning calories a blast!
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Ideal weight calculator for adults
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