The American Academy of Pediatrics reports that, according to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, obesity affects more than16 percent of children and teens in the United States. These children have an increased risk of developing serious health problems, physical and emotional. To define overweight and obesity in children, most doctors use a measurement called body mass index (BMI).
Significance
Physical complications of overweight and obesity in children include increased risk of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Overweight and obese children also tend to suffer from various emotional problems, including low self-esteem, depression and anxiety.
Considerations
A person's BMI measures weight with respect to height. The same formula calculates BMI for children and adults, but the interpretations differ. The amount of body fat in growing children and teens changes with age. The amount of body fat also varies between boys and girls at this age. To account for these differences, a BMI interpretation for a child, commonly called BMI for age, reflects sex and age. An adult BMI does not reflect sex and age.
Definition of Overweight in Children
Doctors record BMI measurements for children on growth charts to compare them with other children of the same age and sex. The comparisons determine percentile rankings. For example, a boy in the 65th percentile has more body fat than 65 percent of other boys the same age. Most medical and health organizations, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, use these percentile rankings to define overweight and obesity in children. An overweight child, using this definition, has a percentile ranking of 85th or greater, but less than 95th.
Definition of Obesity in Children
An obese child has a percentile ranking of 95th or greater. By comparison, a child with a percentile ranking of fifth to less than 85th has a healthy weight, and an underweight child has a percentile ranking less than fifth.
Features
The Mayo Clinic notes that a BMI measurement doesn't always tell the whole story. BMI doesn't consider factors such as body frame size and amount of muscle. Your doctor uses this information, along with BMI percentile rankings, to assess your child's particular situation.
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