CDC BMI Categories for Children
| BMI Percentile | Category |
|---|---|
| < 5th | Underweight |
| 5th – 84th | Healthy weight |
| 85th – 94th | Overweight |
| ≥ 95th | Obese |
CDC vs WHO: Which to Use?
In the United States, the CDC recommends:
- WHO growth standards for children birth to 23 months (they represent optimal growth under healthy conditions)
- CDC growth charts for children 2 years and older (they represent a reference population)
Outside the US, many countries use WHO standards exclusively or have their own national growth references.
Important: CDC charts are growth references, not prescriptive standards. A child above the 95th percentile on CDC charts may not necessarily be overweight by other international criteria.
Track growth with automated charts
GrowChart plots measurements on both WHO and CDC curves automatically.