#Child bmi calculator how to

For example, the CDC has an online BMI calculator that allows you to plug in a child’s age, sex, height, and weight. To calculate your child’s BMI percentile on your own, try using online resources like apps and calculators, recommends Marisa Censani, MD, a pediatric endocrinologist and director of the Pediatric Obesity Program at NewYork-Presbyterian’s Komansky Center Children’s Hospital and Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City.

#Child bmi calculator how to

How to Calculate Your Child’s BMI Percentile on Your Own The red portion is associated with childhood obesity. This chart compares a child’s BMI (calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared) with his or her age. As a child gets older, his or her weight, height, and amount of body fat change, so the best practice is to compare children with other children of the same age and sex. He recommends that all parents focus on prevention by keeping tabs on their children’s nutrition and exercise habits.īMI for children is sometimes referred to as “BMI-for-age,” because age is one factor that’s considered. “Right now, the obesity epidemic is probably the worst it’s ever been,” says Daniel Ganjian, MD, a pediatric obesity specialist at Providence Saint John’s Physician Partners in Santa Monica, California. In 2017–2018, about 1 in 5 kids of school age in the United States were obese. Data from the CDC suggest that since the 1970s, childhood obesity has tripled. ( 1)Ĭhildhood obesity is a pressing issue. Children whose weight puts them in the 95th percentile, or heavier than 95 percent of children their age, are considered obese. What Is BMI, and Why Does Your Child’s Number Matter?īMI is a scale that defines obesity by taking body weight and height into account.

American children are increasingly tipping the scale, and the extra weight is putting them at risk for immediate and future health complications, including depression, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.īut how do you know if your child is overweight or obese?ĭoctors maintain that the way to tell involves a term you may already be familiar with: BMI, or body mass index.