American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM) Practice Exam 2026 - Free ABFM Practice Questions and Study Guide

In the context of Body Mass Index (BMI) for children, the classification for being categorized as overweight specifically refers to those whose BMI falls between the 85th and 94th percentiles. This means that children within this range have a higher BMI than 85% to less than 95% of children in the same age and sex group, indicating that they are heavier than the typical child without being classified as obese.

The CDC growth charts are often used for this classification and provide the percentiles that help healthcare providers assess a child's weight status. Therefore, identifying the 85th to 94th percentile as the overweight range is important for healthcare professionals to monitor and create appropriate health plans for children at risk of becoming obese.

Other classifications exist outside of this range: children below the 5th percentile are considered underweight, those between the 5th and 85th percentile are categorized as normal weight, and those in the greater than 95th percentile are classified as obese. Understanding these thresholds is crucial for determining the health risks associated with various weight categories in children.