This version was machine-translated from German and has not been medically reviewed. The authoritative version is the German version.
CDC Extended BMI
BMI-for-age 2–20 years incl. values above P95 and % of P95
About this calculator
BMI percentile and z-score according to the extended CDC BMI curves (2022), which also give meaningful values above the P95. In addition, BMI as a percentage of the P95 for classifying obesity classes.
In preterm infants, if a gestational age is given, age is corrected up to month 24 of life for the missing weeks up to 40+0. The z-score (SDS) describes the deviation from the median in standard deviations; the percentile the proportion of the reference population with a smaller value.
Frequently asked questions
Why is the classic CDC BMI curve not sufficient?
Above P97, the LMS curves of 2000 no longer yield meaningful z-scores. The extended curves (Wei et al. 2020, Hales et al. 2022) model the range above P95 with a half-normal distribution.
What does percent of P95 mean?
BMI is expressed relative to P95 for age and sex: 120 % corresponds to the threshold for severe obesity (class 2), 140 % to class 3 according to the classification of the American Academy of Pediatrics.