1. What is BMI-for-age?

BMI-for-age is a measure that takes into account a child's age and sex when assessing their body mass index. For children and teens, BMI is age- and sex-specific and is often referred to as BMI-for-age because their body composition varies as they grow.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the standard BMI formula:

Where:

• \( weight \) — Body weight in kilograms
• \( height \) — Height in meters

Note: For children and teens, the BMI number is plotted on growth charts to determine the corresponding BMI-for-age percentile.

3. Importance of BMI Calculation

Details: BMI-for-age is the recommended measure for screening overweight and obesity in children and teens. It helps identify potential weight problems that may lead to health issues.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter weight in kilograms, height in meters, age in years (2-19), and select gender. For accurate results, measurements should be taken with minimal clothing and no shoes.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What is a healthy BMI for children?
A: Healthy weight is between the 5th and 85th percentiles on growth charts. Interpretation requires comparing to age- and sex-specific growth charts.

Q2: Why is BMI different for children than adults?
A: Children's body composition changes as they grow, and differs between boys and girls. BMI-for-age accounts for these differences.

Q3: How often should children's BMI be checked?
A: The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends BMI screening annually from age 2.

Q4: What are the limitations of BMI-for-age?
A: It doesn't distinguish between fat and muscle mass. Very muscular children may have high BMI without excess fat.

Q5: Where can I find growth charts to interpret the results?
A: CDC growth charts are available online for healthcare professionals to plot BMI-for-age percentiles.