Overweight Children

Obesity is an increasing problem for children.

Now, in addition to educational efforts to get parents to teach their children to eat well and exercise more, kids are turning to adult obesity treatments. These include the use of weight control drugs, like Meridia, and gastric bypass surgery.

As in adults, there is no quick and easy way for kids to lose weight. Instead, many overweight kids end up becoming overweight adults.

Preventing kids from becoming overweight means adapting the way your family eats and exercises, and how you spend time together. Helping kids lead healthy lifestyles begins with parents who lead by example.

If your child is very overweight, then the next goal should usually be to stop gaining weight or gain less weight each year, say perhaps only 3-5 pounds a year. If necessary, your child could then move towards losing weight, especially if he is very overweight, in which case he may need to restrict his calories somewhat under the guidance of a Registered Dietician or your Pediatrician.

Is Your Child Overweight?

Body mass index (BMI) uses height and weight measurements to estimate how much body fat a person has. To calculate BMI, divide weight in kg by height in meters squared; for pounds and inches, divide weight by height squared and multiply the result by the conversion factor 703.

An easier way to measure BMI is to use a BMI calculator. Once you know your child's BMI, it can be plotted on a standard BMI chart. Kids fall into one of four categories:

1.underweight: BMI below the 5th percentile

2.normal weight: BMI at the 5th and less than the 85th percentile

3.overweight: BMI at the 85th and below 95th percentiles

4.obese: BMI at or above 95th percentile

Although the body mass index calculation is usually used to figure out if a person is at a healthy weight, you can also use it to find a target healthy weight for your child. For example, a 12 year old boy who is 4'11" and 150 pounds, has a BMI of 28 and would be considered overweight. A more healthy BMI would be about 24, which would put his weight at only 119 pounds. But it is very unreasonable (and unhealthy) to expect a child to lose 31 pounds.

To use the Healthy Weight Calculator, you will have to have your child's growth chart and body mass index chart handy. You can view and print them out from our Children's Growth Chart subject area. Once you have the charts, mark your child's current height, weight and body mass index. See our guide to Understanding Growth Charts and our BMI Calculator if you need help with this. Next, follow your child's growth curve to see what his height will be in a year or two. And then find the BMI that would be at the 95th percentile when he is a year or two older. You can then plug these numbers into the Healthy Weight Calculator to find your child's target weight.

Read About Weight Loss Diet Also Read About Weight Loss and Exercise