Body Mass Index: Ages 2 Years & Older
Body mass index (BMI) is calculated from height and weight and then converted to a percentile using the growth chart. BMI tells you how thin or heavy you are, and it is widely used in general healthcare. Calculate BMI on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
Using the "BMI-for-age" standard growth, plot the BMI against the child's age to determine the "BMI percentile."
For children with CF ages 2-20 years, having a BMI greater than or equal to the 50th percentile for age is ideal. For adults with CF, percentiles are not used. Instead, the goal for men is a BMI of 23 or more, and for women it is a BMI of 22 or more.