Overweight and Obesity: What’s the Difference?A person’s body weight status — whether underweight, healthy weight, overweight, or obese — is often estimated using the body mass index (BMI). BMI is a measure of weight relative to height, using specific formulas for metric and U.S. customary units.
The terms overweight and obese describe ranges of weight that are greater than what is considered healthy for a given height. Underweight describes a weight that is lower than what is healthy for a given height.
The BMIs of growing children and adolescents are typically plotted on growth charts that specify age and gender. The charts show how a child’s BMI compares to other children and teens of the same age and sex. In young people, BMI is a diagnostic tool that can help clinicians identify children and youth for whom overweight or obesity may be an issue. Additional evaluations should follow to determine if this is the case.
Examples of growth charts from the CDC can be accessed here: Girls (2-20 years) | Boys (2-20 years)
| Category | Children & Adolescents (BMI for Age Percentile Range) |
|---|---|
| Underweight | Less than the 5th percentile |
| Healthy Weight | 5th percentile to less than the 85th percentile |
| Overweight | 85th percentile to less than the 95th percentile |
| Obesity | Equal to or greater than the 95th percentile |
Source
Overweight and Obesity and Diagnosis (February 23, 2017). [website] National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health.
