Body Mass Index Children

Overweight and obesity are both ways of describing body weight that is higher than what is considered healthy for a certain height.
Both labels also identify ranges of weight that have been shown to increase the chances of developing certain diseases and other health problems like strokes, heart attacks, breathing problems and a host of others.
Definitions for Adults
For adults, overweight and obesity ranges are determined by using weight and height to calculate a number called the “body mass index” (BMI). BMI is used because, for most people, it correlates with their amount of body fat.
A. An adult who has a BMI between 25 and 29.9 is considered overweight.
B. An adult who has a BMI of 30 or higher is considered obese.
The table below gives examples.
Height Weight Range BMI Considered
5′ 9″ 124 lbs or less Below 18.5 Underweight
125 lbs to 168 lbs 18.5 to 24.9 Healthy weight
169 lbs to 202 lbs 25.0 to 29.9 Overweight
203 lbs or more 30 or higher Obese
Even though BMI correlates with the amount of body fat, BMI does not directly measure body fat. As a result, some people, such as athletes, may have a BMI that identifies them as overweight even though they do not have excess body fat.
For people who are considered obese (BMI greater than or equal to 30) or those who are overweight (BMI of 25 to 29.9) and have two or more risk factors, the guidelines recommend weight loss. Even a small weight loss (just 10 percent of your current weight) will help to lower your risk of developing diseases associated with obesity.
Patients who are overweight, do not have a high waist measurement, and have less than 2 risk factors may need to prevent further weight gain rather than lose weight.
Talk to your doctor to see if you are at an increased risk and if you should lose weight. Your doctor will evaluate your BMI, waist measurement, and others risk factors for heart disease.
People who are overweight or obese have a greater chance of developing high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol or other lipid disorders, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers, and even a small weight loss (just 10 percent of your current weight) will help to lower your risk of developing those diseases.
Definitions for Children and Teens
For children and teens, BMI ranges above a normal weight have different labels (at risk of overweight and overweight). Also, BMI ranges for children and teens are defined so that they take into account normal differences in body fat between girls and boys as well as age.
The bottom line is that overweight or obese are basically different degrees of having an unhealthy amount of body fat and both can cause health problems from diabetes to strokes and more.
If you fit either of these categories it is time to do something about it NOW!
Besides being overweight or obese, there are additional risk factors to consider.
RISK FACTORS
* high blood pressure (hypertension)
* high LDL-cholesterol (”bad” cholesterol)
* low HDL-cholesterol (”good” cholesterol)
* high triglycerides
* high blood glucose (sugar)
* family history of premature heart disease
* physical inactivity
* cigarette smoking