Pediatric BMI-for-Age Percentile (CDC)
CDC 2000 BMI-for-age percentile (LMS method): from sex, age, and BMI → percentile, z-score, and the underweight / healthy / overweight / obese band.
Open the calculator → Runs in your browser. Data leaves only if you deliberately send a problem report from the interactive tool.
Example
- Sex
- Male
- Age
- 16
- BMI
- 30
Result: BMI 30 kg/m² at age 16 y: 98th percentile (z 1.97) — obese (95th percentile or above).
The tool opens with these values already filled in. Replace them with your own.
What the result means
- Transform
- the BMI is converted to an age- and sex-specific z-score by the CDC LMS transform z = ((BMI/M)^L − 1) / (L·S); the percentile is the standard-normal CDF of z.
- Bands
- under the 5th percentile underweight; 5th to under the 85th healthy weight; 85th to under the 95th overweight; 95th percentile or above obese.
What you enter
- Sex
- Age (years, 2–20)
- BMI (kg/m²)
How this is calculated
- Range
- BMI-for-age applies to ages 2 to 20 years; below 2 use the WHO weight/length-for-age tool.
Kuczmarski RJ, Ogden CL, Guo SS, et al. 2000 CDC growth charts for the United States: methods and development. Vital Health Stat 11. 2002;(246):1-190. Read the source ↗
A reference and educational tool. Not medical, legal, or financial advice, and not a substitute for clinician judgment.