How is overweight defined in children?

How is overweight defined in children?

• A. BMI at or above the 85th percentile and below the 95th percentile for age and sex
• B. BMI above the 99th percentile
• C. Weight-for-height above the 95th percentile
• D. BMI below the 5th percentile

Answer: (A)

In children, overweight is defined using body mass index relative to age and sex, plotted on growth charts. The threshold for overweight is a BMI at or above the 85th percentile but below the 95th percentile for age and sex. This range indicates more body mass than typically expected for peers, but not at the level classified as obesity (which is at or above the 95th percentile). The other options don’t fit the standard definition: a BMI above the 99th percentile describes extreme obesity rather than overweight; weight-for-height above the 95th percentile is a different measure often used for younger children and doesn’t define overweight by BMI percentiles; and a BMI below the 5th percentile indicates underweight.

In children, overweight is defined using body mass index relative to age and sex, plotted on growth charts. The threshold for overweight is a BMI at or above the 85th percentile but below the 95th percentile for age and sex. This range indicates more body mass than typically expected for peers, but not at the level classified as obesity (which is at or above the 95th percentile). The other options don’t fit the standard definition: a BMI above the 99th percentile describes extreme obesity rather than overweight; weight-for-height above the 95th percentile is a different measure often used for younger children and doesn’t define overweight by BMI percentiles; and a BMI below the 5th percentile indicates underweight.