BMI curves for males 2 to 20 years with severe obesity

Severe obesity in pediatric patients is defined as a body mass index (BMI) that is either ≥120% of the 95^th percentile curve, or BMI ≥35 kg/m² (whichever is lower). The area defining severe obesity is shaded in red in the figure above. A BMI of 40 kg/m² is typically used as a threshold for weight loss surgery in adults and adolescents without major comorbidities. Note that this threshold is well above the curve representing 120% of the 95^th percentile at all ages.
The black curves (50 through 97) represent the standard BMI growth reference from the CDC, published in 2000. The blue curves (110% through 190%) are derived by multiplying the 95^th percentile values by 1.1 through 1.9, respectively.