Assessment of Overweight

Weight-for-height status among children over 2 years should be assessed by the calculation of body mass index (BMI).

http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/bmicalc.htm

BMI is calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by height in meters squared (kg/m2).

The resulting BMI values are then compared to age-and gender-appropriate BMI percentiles to determine the appropriateness of the child's weight for their height.

Children with BMI values > 85th but < 95th percentile are considered to be at risk for overweight, while those with BMI values > 95th percentile are considered to be overweight (Himes 1994, Barlow 1998).

Newly revised reference growth curves that assist health professionals in interpreting BMI data for children and adolescents are available from the National Center for Health Statistics (CDC).

http://www.cdc.gov/growthcharts/.

These growth curves allow health professionals to track a child's BMI throughout childhood and adolescence.

All youth determined to be overweight based on BMI should have their body fat levels assessed to verify the presence of excess adiposity or obesity.