A child is considered obese if they reach the 95th percentile on the growth charts, and severely obese at 120% of that mark — or with a BMI of 35 or higher, according to the CDC.

The old scale, which went up to 37, has been in use for more than two decades, even as the rate of childhood obesity in the U.S. has nearly quadrupled. Skip Navigation. Share on Facebook; ...

The charts include a body mass index of 60, up from previous charts that stopped at a BMI of 37. Severe obesity affects an estimated 4.5 million children and teens in the U.S.

"As an example, during 2017-March 2020, 19.7% of U.S. children and adolescents were above the 95th percentile of the 2000 CDC BMI-for-age growth charts and had obesity.