In children aged 2–5 years, overweight is defined as a BMI percentile between which range?

• A. 95th percentile or higher
• B. 85th to 94th percentile
• C. 5th-84th percentile
• D. 75th-84th percentile

Answer: (B)

In children, weight status is interpreted using BMI percentiles that are specific to age and sex, because kids are growing and single BMI numbers don’t tell the whole story. For kids aged 2–5 years, overweight is defined as a BMI between the 85th and 94th percentiles. This range flags kids who weigh more than most peers but haven’t crossed into obesity, which starts at the 95th percentile or higher. The 5th through 84th percentile represents healthy weight for most children, while the 75th–84th range sits within that healthy band but is not used as the overweight cutoff. Using these percentile thresholds helps doctors identify early risk for weight-related health issues in a way that accounts for normal growth patterns.