Helping Your Child Set Realistic Goals
Overweight or obesity in children is a serious health concern. Overweight children are more likely to have high cholesterol , high blood pressure , and type 2 diabetes . They also have to deal with social discrimination from their peers, which can lead to poor self-esteem and depression . What’s more, overweight kids have a higher chance of becoming overweight or obese adults.
But what does this mean? How do you know if your child is overweight? The best way to find out is to schedule a visit with your child's pediatrician or family doctor, who can tell you if your child’s weight is in a healthy range. But if you are concerned that your child may be overweight, there are some other ways you can assess your child’s weight.
Your pediatrician or family doctor will likely measure your child’s height and weight to monitor growth patterns during regular appointments. Most doctors use clinical growth charts to make these determinations.
The doctor will use your child’s height and weight to determine what “percentile” your child falls into according to an age- and gender-appropriate growth chart. A percentile will tell you how your child’s height and weight compare to a nationally representative group of children of the same age and gender. For example, if your child falls into the 70th percentile for weight, approximately 70% of children your child’s age and gender are at a lower weight than your child.
Clinical growth charts can be accessed at the National Center for Health Statistics website.
For children aged 2-20, BMI (body mass index)-for-age charts are a way to assess their weight in relation to their height. Since childrens’ and teens’ body fatness fluctuates as they grow, the cutoff points that adults use for BMI are not applicable to children. Instead, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has developed charts for assessing children’s BMI according to their age and gender. Like clinical growth charts, BMI-for-age charts indicate which percentile your child falls into.
BMI-for-age growth charts can be accessed at the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion website.
The CDC has established percentile cutoff points to help doctors and parents determine whether a child is of a healthy weight. Body composition (percentage of muscle and fat) can influence these numbers, but for most children, the following cutoff points apply accurately to children aged 2-20:
Classification | Cutoff Point of BMI for age |
---|---|
Underweight | Less than the 5th percentile |
Healthy weight | 5th precentile-84th percentile |
Overweight | 85th-94th percentile |
Obese | 95th percentile or greater |
If your child is overweight, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) suggests you do the following:
RESOURCES:
Healthy Weight
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/index.html
Families Finding the Balance: A Parent Handbook
http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/dnpabmi/Calculator.aspx
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disorders
http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/over_child.htm
CANADIAN RESOURCES:
AboutKidsHealth
http://www.aboutkidshealth.ca/
Primary Care Pediatrics Ontario Association of Pediatricians
http://www.utoronto.ca/kids
References:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Assessing BMI for children and teens. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/assessing/bmi/childrens_bmi/about_childrens_bmi.html. Updated January 27, 2009. Accessed April 6, 2010.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Use and interpretation of the CDC growth charts. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/growthcharts/guide_intro.htm . Accessed May 14, 2008.
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. BMI for children and teens. National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion website. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/bmi/bmi-for-age.htm . Accessed May 14, 2008.
.National Center for Health Statistics. Clinical growth charts. National Center for Health Statistics website. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/about/major/nhanes/growthcharts/clinical_charts.htm . Accessed August 26, 2003.
National Center for Health Statistics. Prevalence of overweight among children and adolescents: United States, 1999-2000. National Center for Health Statistics website. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/pubs/pubd/hestats/overwght99.htm . Accessed August 27, 2003.
National Center for Health Statistics. Prevalence of overweight among children and adolescents: United States, 1999-2002. National Center for Health Statistics website. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/pubs/pubd/hestats/overwght99.htm . Accessed May 14, 2008.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disorders. Helping your overweight child. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disorders website. Available at: http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health/nutrit/pubs/helpchld.htm . Accessed May 14, 2008.
Office of the Surgeon General. The Surgeon General's call to action to prevent and decrease overweight and obesity. Office of the Surgeon General website. Available at: http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/topics/obesity/calltoaction/fact_adolescents.htm . Accessed August 26, 2003.
Polsdorfer R. Obesity. EBSCO Health Library website. Available at: http://www.ebscohost.com/thisTopic.php?marketID=15topicID=81 . Updated May 12, 2009. Accessed May 29, 2009.
Last reviewed April 2010 by Brian Randall, MD
Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
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