Obesity in children is defined as BMI greater than which percentile?

• A. Below The 5th Percentile
• B. Above The 95th Percentile
• C. Between The 50th And 85th Percentile
• D. Between The 5th And 25th Percentile

Answer: (B)

In pediatric nutrition, BMI is interpreted using age- and sex-specific percentile charts. Obesity is defined as BMI greater than the 95th percentile for a child’s age and sex, meaning the child’s BMI is higher than that of more than 95% of peers. This threshold accounts for normal growth and development, letting us identify clinically significant adiposity rather than applying a fixed adult cut-off. It sits above the overweight range (commonly 85th–95th percentile) and below the underweight range (below the 5th percentile). So, obesity corresponds to BMI above the 95th percentile.