![]() Girls and boys also have different body compositions. Young children naturally start out with high body fat, but tend to get leaner as they get older. In the next section we'll see how BMI is measured for children.įor more common questions and expert answers on fitness and exercise, visit. Diet choices, exercise, and smoking all combine to determine whether or not an individual is healthy. It's important to note that BMI is just one factor involved in determining risk for disease. Patients who are overweight, or at risk for being overweight, can start on a diet and exercise program to help them bring their weight down to a healthy range. On an individual basis, it enables doctors to identify weight problems in their patients before serious health conditions arise. In a broad sense, the BMI helps health officials get a general idea of how weight and obesity affect the health of the population. Similarly, being underweight can also lead to increased health risks due to malnutrition. Studies have indicated that being overweight or obese can significantly increase a person's risk for developing several diseases, including: For more information about BMI percentile and growth charts for children, visit. However, you should ask your family doctor, pediatrician, or other health care provider about your child's BMI percentile and whether they are at risk for disease. For example, a child may have a high BMI for age and gender, but to determine if excess fat is a problem, a health care provider would need to perform further assessments.Ī BMI percentile will not tell you if your child has or will get a disease. For children, BMI is used to screen for overweight, healthy weight, or underweight. A child or teen that is at the 95th percentile or above is considered overweight. A child or teen that is between the 85th and 95th percentile on the growth chart is considered at risk of overweight. The growth charts use a child's BMI, age, and sex to produce a BMI percentile.Ī child's BMI percentile shows how his or her BMI compares with other boys or girls of the same age. So, BMI for children 2 to 20 years old is determined by using a BMI chart that compares their weight and height along with growth charts. ![]() ![]() Children are still growing, and boys and girls develop at different rates. BMI for Childrenįor children and teens, overweight is defined differently than it is for adults. Or use the BMI tables on the Aim for a Healthy Weight website. Use a BMI calculator for adults and learn your BMI by entering your height and body weight. They would not be considered obese from the perspective of health risk. Big athletes with lots of muscle might have a BMI over 30, but may still have a healthy body composition. People who are obese (BMI of 30 or above) almost always have a large amount of body fat in relation to their height. People who are overweight (BMI of 25 to 29.9) have too much body weight for their height. Body Mass Index (BMI) is calculated from your height and weight and is a useful measure of overweight and obesity. Materials for Ethnically Diverse Populationsįor adults, a healthy weight is defined as the appropriate body weight in relation to height.Materials to Share With Children and Teens. ![]() Resources About Public Programs and Policy. ![]()
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