Understanding a healthy Body Mass Index (BMI) for your child can be tough. It is not always easy for you to tell if your child is healthy or unhealthy just by his or her physical appearance. Adult human beings register their BMI as a single number, such as 24. But since children are constantly going through physiological change, much more so than adults, you need to look at a BMI percentile rather than a number.
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Why a BMI Percentile For Kids?
Web MD suggests a BMI percentile, as opposed to a number, for understanding your child's level of health for several reasons. But mainly, the benefit is that a percentile shows how your child compares to other kids who are the same gender and age. This is often termed "BMI for age", and can quickly tell you where your child ranks among the general population of his or her peers as far as health is concerned. To check the BMI percentile of your kids, consult your doctor or health care professional.
You can also type "BMI calculator for kids" or some variation of "BMI percentile calculator for children" to determine this information online. BMI percentile calculators ask for your child's gender, birth date, height and weight. Your weight, height and that of your child's other biological parent is also used to determine their BMI percentile.
Remember that these are global averages. This compares your child physically against all the data which has been recorded for children the same age and gender. While it is not a perfect tool for measuring health, it does help give you a general picture of how healthy or unhealthy your child is. Then you can take the necessary steps to implement a plan of action to improve their health and fitness levels.
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What Does My Kid's BMI Percentile Mean?
Once you have a BMI percentile, you need to know what it means. From about the 5th, 6th or 7th percentile to a percentile in the 80s, your child is at a healthy weight. An overweight kid is one that suffers from a BMI percentile in the 85 to 95 range. Obesity is considered 95th percentile or higher, and your child is underweight when he or she is below the 5th percentile.
For an example, imagine that you have a 6 year old boy that registers a 70th percentile BMI. What this means is that your child has a higher body mass index than 70 out of 100 other 6 year old boys. Physically, he may appear to be overweight. But he is actually in a healthy weight range for boys his age.
Keep one thing in mind, however. Average and overall BMIs for children have been going up considerably the past 20 years. Since this measurement judges your child as compared to all other children, and childhood obesity has been skyrocketing, BMIs have gone up as well. Aim for around the 50th or 60th percentile and make sure your child gets lots of exercise and practices good nutrition. Do not obsess over a few percentage points, and monitor your child's BMI percentile change year-over-year for the most complete health picture.
