Children's National Average Height & Weight

The average U.S. child is slightly taller, but weighs significantly more than the average U.S. child of their parents' generation, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's most recent report on average height and weight. The report was released Oct. 27, 2004. The changes mean that "obesity in American children has increased 100 percent in the past 20 years, according to "An Invitation to Health," a college textbook.

Average Height

The average height of 6- to 11-year-old boys and girls rose 0.8 and 0.6 inches between the 1960s and 2002, while the average height of 12- to 17-year-old boys and girls rose 0.7 and 0.3 inches, according to the CDC 2004 report. The changes are "not statistically significant," according to the CDC. In 2002, the average 6-, 11-, 14- and year-old boy was 46.9 (3 feet 10.9 inches tall), 58.5 (4-11), 66.3 (5-6) and 69.0 (5-9) inches, respectively. The average 6-, 11-, 14- and 17-year-old girl was 46.0 (3-10), 59.6 (5-0), 63.7 (5-4) and 64.2 (5-4) inches.

Average Weight

The average weight of 6- to 11-year-olds, boys and girls, increased almost 9 lb. between the 1960s and 2002 to almost 74 lb., the CDC report says. The average weight of 12- to 17-year-old boys increased from 125 to 141 lb. during the same time, while the average weight of 12- to 17-year-old girls increased from 118 to 130 lb. Body mass index (BMI) and weight-for-height tables show that children and adults should gain 2 to 5 lb. when they grow an inch.

Average BMI

Children are more obese than they were decades ago because their average weight gains have been far more significant than their height gains. You are at healthful weight if your BMI, which is based on height and weight, is between 18-1/2 and 25. Between 1980 and 2002, the average BMIs of 14- and 17-year-old boys increased from 20.2 to 22.3 and 21.8 to 24.5, while the average BMIs of 14- and 17-year-old girls increased from 21.0 to 22.9 and 22.3 to 23.1.

Significance

Obese children are far more likely to be obese adults, according to a University of Cincinnati study that tracked 854 children from birth. The study, which was reported in the book "An Invitation to Health," shows that 10- to 14-year-olds who are obese have a 64 percent chance of becoming obese as adults if their parents aren't and a 79 percent chance if they are. However, their risk of adult obesity plunges to 15 percent if they aren't obese and their parents are.

Expert Advice

Parents can help their children maintain a healthful weight, according to the CDC's "Tips for Parents--Ideas to Help Children Maintain a Healthy Weight" ditto. "Start adding physical activity to your own daily routine and encourage your child to join you," the agency recommends. Parents can also prevent their children from eating high-fat, high-sugar foods by serving them nutritious snacks instead. The CDC recommends medium-sized apples and bananas as well as blueberries, carrots and grapes.