What threshold defines severe obesity in BMI percentiles?

• A. ≥120% of the 95th percentile
• B. ≥100% of the 95th percentile
• C. ≥140% of the 95th percentile
• D. ≥110% of the 95th percentile

Answer: (A)

Severe obesity in pediatrics is defined by a BMI that is at least 120% of the 95th percentile for the child’s age and sex. This uses the 95th percentile as a moving reference point to account for normal growth, and multiplying it by 1.20 identifies a level of weight far above typical obesity, signaling higher cardiometabolic risk. The other options are not the standard threshold because 100% would just reach the obesity cutoff (the 95th percentile), 110% is less stringent, and 140% would mark an even more extreme level than the widely used 120% criterion. (Note: in some contexts, BMI ≥35 kg/m^2 in older teens is also used as a separate practical marker, but the pediatric threshold most commonly tested is 120% of the 95th percentile.)