They may also order lab studies and other tests to check for possible health complications. If your child or teen is in a group at increased health risk, such as underweight, overweight or obese, your pediatrician may ask more questions about their medical history. Keep in mind, these words do not describe your child. Underweight, healthy weight, overweight and obese are terms used to describe where your child's BMI is on the BMI curve. Your pediatrician will talk with you about how you can develop and support healthy habits at home. The best way to know your child's BMI percentile is to have their pediatrician measure and discuss the results with you. Standardized growth chart for a visual comparison, and to help track growth trends over time. For example, a BMI percentile of 65 means that the child's weight is greater than that of 65% of other children of the same age and sex. children of the same age and sex to determine the BMI percentile. This number is then compared to other U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: There are also BMI calculators available, such as this one from the U.S. Multiply their height (in inches) by itself Your pediatrician will measure your child's height and weight with their shoes and heavy clothes off, and then calculate BMI with this formula: Body-Mass Index FormulaĢ. These measures look at a child's growth in relation to children of the same age and sex to figure out if they are within a healthy weight range. Instead of just using the BMI number as is done with adults, we look at BMI percentiles. We know that children are constantly growing, and do so at different rates. This number helps doctors understand if a person’s weight is in a category such as underweight, overweight or obese that may be putting their health at risk.

In simple terms, a person's Body Mass Index or BMI, is a measure of weight in relation to height. But what does it mean, and why is it important to your child's health? Read on for information about how BMI is calculated, what ranges pediatricians like to see in children, and why BMI -while important -can have limitations. You may hear the term body mass index or 'BMI' during your child's checkups, or even at your own health visits.

Body mass index