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Body Mass Index (BMI)

BMI is a measure that adjusts bodyweight for height. It is calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared. Overweight for children and adolescents is defined as BMI at or above the sex-and age-specific 95th percentile BMI cut points from the 2000 CDC Growth Charts. Healthy weight for adults is defined as a BMI of 18.5 to less than 25; overweight, as greater than or equal to a BMI of 25; and obesity, as greater than or equal to a BMI of 30. 

BMI cut points are defined in the

bullet graphicReport of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2000

bullet graphicClinical Guidelines on the Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults

bullet graphicTracking Healthy People 2010

SOURCE: Health, United States

Related Links
Body Mass Index-For-Age
Body Mass Index Web Calculator

 

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This page last reviewed September 10, 2008

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Center for Health Statistics
Hyattsville, MD
20782

1-800-232-4636