One tool in determining whether a child is a healthy weight is the body mass index, or BMI, percentile. An adult's BMI is figured by charting height and weight. For children, the calculation is more complex and takes into account a child's age and sex, according to the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Finding BMI Percentiles
The CDC offers a BMI percentile calculator for children ages 2 through 19. Calculate this online at the CDC website (see Resources). The CDC provides recommendations on how to best measure and weigh a child. Record height to the nearest 1/8 inch and weight to the nearest decimal fraction, such as 76.2 lbs. Doctors and health care providers use the same charts to assess patients, as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Interpreting Results
Once calculated, the BMI percentile of a child can determine whether he is overweight, a healthy weight or underweight. A child who falls between 85th and 95th percentile is overweight; the 95th percentile and above is considered obese, according to the CDC. A child who is at less than the 5th percentile is underweight. A child who falls between the 5th and the 85th is considered a healthy weight. The NIH, CDC and AAP recommend talking with a child's health care provider about BMI percentile.
Significance
Nearly one-third of U.S. children are overweight or at risk of becoming overweight, according to the National Institutes of Health. Extra pounds can mean life-long health problems, increasing the risk of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, certain cancers and other chronic conditions, the NIH says. Type 2 diabetes is especially of concern, notes the NIH. Obese children are twice as likely to have diabetes than healthy weight children, according to a 2006 University of Michigan Health System study published in "Diabetes Care."
Prevention/Solution
One nationwide initiative, sponsored by the NIH, is We Can!, or Ways to Enhance Children's Activity & Nutrition. The program "provides parents and caregivers with tools and activities to help them encourage healthy eating, increased physical activity, and reduced time sitting in front of the screen in their entire family." Research, says the NIH, shows parents and caregivers are the primary influence on the health of children.
Tips
To help children maintain a healthy weight, the We Can! initiative suggests children follow a healthy diet. A healthy diet for children includes fruits and vegetables, whole grains, fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products, lean meat, poultry, fish, beans, eggs and nuts. To keep a healthy weight, children should be physically active for at least 60 minutes on most, if not all, days. The time can be broken up into smaller chunks. We Can! recommends reducing screen time to two hours a day, unless it is homework-related. Set limits, make screen time active time and create screen-free bedrooms.
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