Closing Gaps and
Meeting Metrics
BMI
Adults
Did You Know?
February 2016
Body Mass Index (BMI) is an inexpensive, easy-to-perform method of
screening for weight categories that may lead to health problems. It is
calculated by dividing a person's weight in kilograms by the square of their
height in meters. For children and teens, BMI is age- and, sex-specific and
is often referred to as BMI-for-age.
BMI can be used to assess what percentage of a population is overweight
or obese. Because calculation requires only height and weight, it is
inexpensive and easy to use for clinicians and for the general public.
A high BMI can be an indicator of high body fatness. While BMI does not
measure body fat directly, research shows that BMI is correlated with more
direct measures of body fat, such as skinfold thickness measurements, bioelectrical impedance, densitometry (underwater weighing), dual energy xray absorptiometry (DXA) and other methods. Because of the correlation,
BMI can be considered an alternative to direct measures of body fat.
Examples
Weight = 68 kg, height = 165 cm
68
BMI 
 24.98
1.652
Weight = 170 lbs., height = 65 in
BMI 
150
* 703  28.29
65 2
Adult BMI Categories and ICD-10 Codes
BMI
<18.5
Weight
Status
ICD-10 Codes
Underweight
Trends
Source: National Institute of Health
TRENDS
The prevalence of adult BMI
greater than or equal to 30 kg/
m2 (obese status) has greatly
increased since the 1970s.
Recently, this trend has
leveled off except for older
women. Obesity has continued
to increase in adult women
who are age 60 years and
older.
R64—Cachexia
E43—Unspecified severe protein-calorie
malnutrition
E44.0—Moderate protein-calorie malnutrition
E44.1—Mild protein-calorie malnutrition
18.5-24.9 Normal or
Healthy Weight
25.0-29.9 Overweight
30.0-39.9 Obese
40+
Morbidly Obese E66.01—Morbid (severe) obesity due to excess
calories
E66.2—Morbid (severe) obesity with alveolar
hypoventilation
Document the BMI status codes for Star Measures every time the BMI is
documented in the chart. Use Z68.1 to Z68.45 for adults.
FLORIDA BLUE QUALITY REVENUE PROGRAM MANAGEMENT
900-1530-0116
Closing Gaps and
Meeting Metrics
BMI
Children and Teens
Did You Know?
February 2016
BMI is interpreted differently for children and teens
even though it is calculated the same as for adults
(weight ÷ height2). Because weight and height changes
with age, as well as the relation to body fatness, BMI
levels among children and teens need to be expressed
relative to other children of the same sex and age.
These percentiles are calculated from the CDC growth
charts, which were based on national survey data collected from 1963-65 to 1988-94.
Examples
Obesity is defined as a BMI at or above the 95th percentile for children and teens of the same age and sex.
For example, a 10-year-old boy of average height (56
inches) who weighs 102 pounds would have a BMI of
22.9 kg/m2. This would place the boy in the 95th percentile for BMI, and he would be considered to have
obesity. This means that the child’s BMI is greater than
the BMI of 95% of 10-year-old boys in the reference
population.
Childhood BMI Categories
and ICD-10 Codes
Percentile
Range
<5th
percentile
5th to 85th
percentile
Weight
Status
ICD-10 Codes
Underweight
E40—Kwashiorkor
E41—Nutritional marasmus
E42—Marasmic kwashiorkor
E46—Unspecified severe protein-calorie malnutrition
Normal or
Healthy
Weight
Source: Centers for Disease Control
Document the BMI status codes for Star
Measures every time the BMI is documented in
the chart. Use Z68.5 to Z68.54 depending on
percentile for age for children and teens.
85th to <95th Overweight
percentile
95th
Obese
percentile +
900-1530-0116
FLORIDA BLUE QUALITY REVENUE PROGRAM MANAGEMENT