You can lower body fat and get to a healthier weight by exercising at least three times per week.
This energy is obtained in the form of calories. The body needs a certain amount of energy from food in order to function. People gain weight as a result of an energy imbalance. About 17 percent of children and teenagers (ages 2 to 19) are considered obese. The following table shows the percentile range for each weight status: PercentileĪccording to the National Institutes of Health, more than two in three adults are considered overweight and one in three are considered obese. This means that they have more body fat than 95 percent of children in the same age and gender category. For example, a child would be considered obese if they had a BMI that landed at or above the 95th percentile. Each percentile expresses a child’s BMI relative to other children of the same age and gender. Girls usually acquire a higher amount of body fat and develop it earlier than boys.įor children and teens, the CDC uses age growth charts to show BMI as a percentile ranking. It’s also different in young boys and girls. While the same formula is used to determine BMI for all age groups, the implications for children and adolescents can vary depending on age and gender. doi:10.1097/MED.BMI is interpreted differently for people under age 20. Current body composition measurement techniques. Race-Ethnicity-Specific Waist Circumference Cutoffs for Identifying Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors.
Zhu S, Heymsfield SB, Toyoshima H, Wang Z, Pietrobelli A, Heshka S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. What’s New in Understanding the Risk Associated With Body Size and Shape? Pears, Apples, and Olives on Toothpicks. Golzarri-Arroyo L, Mestre LM, Allison DB. Ethnic Differences in BMI and Disease Risk. Body Mass Index Versus Body Fat Percentage in Prospective National Football League Athletes: Overestimation of Obesity Rate in Athletes at the National Football League Scouting Combine. Provencher MT, Chahla J, Sanchez G, et al. Those who carry weight around the middle-what's called an “apple” body shape-have higher health risks than people with a "pear" shape (those who accumulate weight in the hips and thighs).Ĭenters for Disease Control and Prevention. Body shape: Evidence suggests that where body fat is located matters.Race/ethnicity: Body fat proportions can vary by race, meaning that BMI scores can mean very different things if you are Asian (who have greater proportional body fat than Whites at the same BMI) or White (who have greater proportional body fat than Blacks at the same BMI).For example, a BMI below 23 in someone over 75-which is in the "normal" range for adults-is associated with a higher risk of mortality (death), while being in the “overweight” range is not. Age: BMI may not accurately predict health risks for young and old people.Therefore, a woman in a “safe” category may be at higher risk of heart disease and other conditions than her male counterpart of the same BMI. Sex: Females tend to have more body fat than males.It can also underestimate body fat in people with very little muscle mass. Muscle mass: Because BMI cannot distinguish between fat and muscles, it can overestimate body fat in athletes or individuals with lots of muscle mass.