This test is valid for children or adolescents, aged 0 to 18 . Indeed, the “classic” interpretation of the BMI calculation is reserved only for adults ( click here if you were looking for the BMI page for adults ). It is necessary to adopt a different interpretation for children and adolescents which is presented on this page.
Once the data is filled in, we will automatically generate an interpretation and the corresponding curve (below) .
INTERPRETATION OF THE CHILD’S BMI
The interpretation is done according to the tables present in the health record (you will find the “blank” tables below, if you wish to print them). Depending on the gender (boy or girl), the correct table must be selected.
If your child is above the strongly colored part (blue or pink depending on your child’s sex), then he is considered overweight , according to two different degrees ( degree 1 and degree 2 ). If your child is below the heavily colored part then he is underweight . Obesity is only reached when the child is grade 2 overweight.
It is interesting to note that this differentiation between boy and girl is no longer present in the context of the calculation of BMI in adults.
NON-LINEARITY FOR CHILD BMI
This interpretation, contrary to that of the adult, is not linear in the child.
Once you have entered the height ( in centimeters ) as well as the weight ( in kilograms ), the age and the sex of your child, then you will obtain a value that you will have to report in one of the tables below, according to your child’s sex (take the pink table if it’s a girl, and the blue table if it’s a boy) and according to his age. The abscissa axis (the bottom axis) corresponds to your child’s age, and the ordinate axis (the axis on the left) corresponds to the BMI value that you will obtain after our calculation.
Don’t worry, we’ll take care of that for you (just fill in the different information at the top of this page) . However, you can download the “raw” tables below, which come from INPES (2) , if you want to print them, for example.
CHART FOR BOYS
Download this curve to your computer:
- Au Format PDF
- Or in image format: Very large size — Large size — Medium size
CHART FOR GIRLS
Download this curve to your computer:
- Au Format PDF
- Or in image format: Very large size — Large size — Medium size