The Miami Herald – Ethan F. Camacho And Amanda C. Fifi, M.D.
“Body mass index (BMI) is an established measure used by physicians and health experts to determine weight status in children and adults. BMI is measured at every pediatric well-child check-up, and in the Miami-Dade public school system it is measured in specified grades throughout elementary, middle and high school. It is calculated using factors of age, gender, weight, and height. In children it is measured in percentiles with four main categories: underweight (below the 10th percentile), acceptable weight, overweight (85th to 95th percentile), and obesity (above the 95th percentile). (more)