The accuracy of BMI as an indicator of body fatness also appears to be higher in persons with higher levels of BMI and body fatness 16. At the same BMI, athletes have less body fat than do non-athletes. At the same BMI, older people, on average, tend to have more body fat than younger adults.At the same BMI, the amount of body fat may be higher or lower depending on the racial/ethnic group 13-15.At the same BMI, women tend to have more body fat than men.The correlation between the BMI and body fatness is fairly strong 1,2,3,7, but even if two people have the same BMI, their level of body fatness may differ 12. Top of Page How good is BMI as an indicator of body fatness? This would place the boy in the 95 th percentile for BMI – meaning that his BMI is greater than that of 95% of similarly aged boys in this reference population – and he would be considered to have obesity.įor more information and to access the CDC Growth Chartsįor adults, the interpretation of BMI does not depend on sex or age. For example, a 10-year-old boy of average height (56 inches) who weighs 102 pounds would have a BMI of 22.9 kg/m 2. Obesity among 2- to 19-year-olds is defined as a BMI at or above the 95 th percentile of children of the same age and sex in this 1963 to 1994 reference population. These percentiles were determined using representative data of the US population of 2- to 19-year-olds that was collected in various surveys from 1963-65 to 1988-94 11. The CDC BMI-for-age growth charts take into account these differences and visually show BMI as a percentile ranking. Children and teen’s BMI need to be age and sex-specific because the amount of body fat changes with age and the amount of body fat differs between girls and boys. For more information about interpretation for children and teens, read – What is a BMI percentile and how is it interpreted? Is BMI interpreted the same way for children and teens as it is for adults?īMI is interpreted differently for children and teens, even though it is calculated using the same formula as adult BMI. We'll try to characterize how often BMI disagrees with other measures (such as body fat percentage) in a future post.For children and teens, the interpretation of BMI depends upon age and sex. For example, your author has a BMI of 25.9 and isn't worried about his classification. In short: people vary in their dieting and exercise habits. While there are huge individual variations in body composition, it's easier to generalize compositions for a large population. Is BMI a Useful Health Indicator?īMI, while useful for many individuals (and the start of a health conversation), is very useful for population summaries like this one. BMI misclassifications include athletes incorrectly classified as overweight as well as individuals with low muscle mass classified as underweight or healthy weight. Of important note: BMI ignores body composition. Even though there are guidelines presented by government agencies, it's only an equation based on weight and total mass. Remember, BMI is not a measure of body fat, nor is it strictly a measure of "Health". Always consult a professional on medical topics.īMI ranges can be incorrect, especially for athletes. BMI is an element of the communication between you and a professional such as a doctor, nutritionist, or trainer. Using these breakdowns, here's the breakdown of the number of American adults in each category: American Adults by BMI Categoryįirst: nothing on this site – including calculated BMI and category – is medical advice!īMI comes from a simple equation feeding a complex topic. The CDC categorizes BMI in one of four ways for adults: Non-Healthy and Healthy BMIs in the United States Here are the BMI breakpoints for selected percentiles: US Adult BMI Percentile The United States adult median BMI was 28.2. In 2016, the United States adult average BMI was 29.3. Median and Average BMI in the United States Heights and weights were measured at a mobile examination center. BMI Percentile Calculator for the United Statesĭata comes from 5,662 adults with valid BMIs in the 2015-16 NHANES survey from the CDC. To calculate body mass index for you or someone else, use our BMI Calculator. On this page is a BMI percentile calculator for adults 18 and older in the United States.īMI is a formula based on height and weight which estimates whether a person is in a healthy range.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |