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Children's Weight Guidelines
by Nathaly Blalock
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Overview
All parents want to keep their kids healthy. As a parent it is important to know what the weight guidelines are for children and teens. This can help you determine if your child is in a healthy weight range, or if modifications to their diet or lifestyle need to be made.
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BMI
For adults, BMI, or Body Mass Index, is used to determine body fat and is calculated by measuring a person's weight and height. For children and teens, age and sex is also taken into consideration to determine their BMI-for-age percentile. A healthy weight for children and teens ranges from the 5th to below the 85th BMI-for-age percentile. The Center for Disease Control provides an online BMI calculator (see Resources).
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Underweight
If your child is determined to be underweight, this means that his BMI for his age is below the 5th percentile. If your child is active, eats a healthy diet, and is growing normally, there is no need for concern. However, if your child has a low energy level, a poor appetite, is not gaining proper weight or is losing weight, a full medical exam should be given to rule out any serious health problems.
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Overweight
Children that are considered to be overweight have body mass indexes ranging from the 85th to below the 95th percentile. Children with BMI-for-age percentiles above the 95th percentile are considered obese. However, because the BMI does not directly measure body fat, further assessment is needed to determine if changes in diet, health or physical activity are needed. In many instances, healthy children have a high BMI because of their athletic build or large muscle mass. If you are concerned that your child falls into an unhealthy weight range, see your doctor to determine if weight management is needed.
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Prevention/Solution
If you think your child needs help maintaining a healthy weight, there are several ways you can assist her in developing better habits. Encourage her to eat fruits, vegetable and whole-grains. Buy only low-fat or non-fat dairy products and lean cuts of meat. Opt for water instead of sugary beverages. In addition to changing eating habits, help your child stay active. Most children need an hour of moderate physical activity each day. Lead by example and exercise with your child. Go for a brisk walk, swim, play sports such as soccer or play a moderately intense game like tag. If you need to stay inside your home, turn up the music and dance.
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Considerations
While BMI has been proven to be a reliable screening tool, it does not directly measure body fat like other methods. Additional assessments include a skin fold measurement, underwater weighing and dual energy X-ray absorptiometry.
