Screening check
My child's BMI is high. What does the USPSTF advise?
About 19.7% of US children and teens aged 2 to 19 have a BMI at or above the 95th percentile for their age and sex. The US Preventive Services Task Force says what should happen next for children 6 and older. Check what it says for your child.
About your child
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What you will see
What the USPSTF advises for your child's BMI.
Educational only, not medical advice. This does not calculate a BMI percentile. Ask your child's clinician for it.
Source
US Preventive Services Task Force, June 2024 recommendation on interventions for high body mass index in children and adolescents.
Validated in
Children and adolescents 6 years or older.
Limits
It does not calculate BMI or a BMI percentile. Adult BMI categories do not apply to children.
What the USPSTF recommends
| Who | Recommendation | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Children and adolescents 6 years or older with a BMI at or above the 95th percentile for age and sex | Clinicians provide or refer them to comprehensive, intensive behavioral interventions | B |
To work, a program needs 26 or more contact hours (USPSTF 2024). Effective programs had several parts: sessions for the parent and child, group sessions as well as individual or family ones, information about healthy eating, physical activity and reading food labels, and behavior change techniques such as problem solving, tracking diet and activity, and goal setting (USPSTF 2024). This is consistent with the USPSTF's 2017 recommendation (USPSTF 2024).
Why it matters
High BMI becomes more common with age, and it is more common among Hispanic/Latino, Native American/Alaska Native and non-Hispanic Black children and teens and children from lower-income families (USPSTF 2024). Programs of 26 or more hours with physical activity sessions lowered BMI by 1.4 points on average after 6 to 12 months and improved blood pressure and fasting blood sugar (USPSTF 2024).
What about medicine?
Several medicines led to more weight loss than placebo, but the USPSTF found the evidence inadequate overall: each effective medicine (phentermine/topiramate, semaglutide and liraglutide) had only one trial lasting longer than 2 months, weight came back soon after stopping, and there is no evidence on the harms of long-term use (USPSTF 2024). More than 60% of youth taking liraglutide, semaglutide or orlistat had stomach and gut side effects (USPSTF 2024).
Common questions
How is high BMI defined in children?
BMI is plotted on a growth chart for age and sex, such as the CDC charts for children 2 or older. A BMI between the 85th and 95th percentile has traditionally been called overweight, and at or above the 95th percentile obesity. The USPSTF uses the term high BMI (USPSTF 2024).
Are behavioral programs safe?
Eighteen trials looked for harms. None found a higher risk of side effects, including disordered eating or lower self-esteem or body satisfaction (USPSTF 2024).
What do other groups recommend?
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends plotting BMI on a growth chart at every visit from age 2, and the American Psychological Association recommends family-based programs of at least 26 contact hours (USPSTF 2024).
Also see the child diabetes screening check, the child blood pressure check, the adult BMI calculator and all screening tests by age.
Sources
- US Preventive Services Task Force. Interventions for High Body Mass Index in Children and Adolescents: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement. JAMA. 2024;332(3):226-232. www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/obesity-in-children-and-adolescents-screening
Written and maintained by the uncovermyrisk.com editorial team. We do not have a medical reviewer; every claim links to its primary source above. Last reviewed: 2026-10-30. Spotted an error? See About.