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Thread: What Parents Should Know about BMI for Kids

  1. #1
    IndiaParenting's Avatar Administrator
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    What Parents Should Know about BMI for Kids

    How does BMI help in determining child’s health? How can BMI of children be calculated at home? Does a high BMI in kids mean a health problem?

  2. #2
    Sonia Roy's Avatar Member
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    Hello, it is said that as children grow their body completely changes with several physical and mental changes. I know it is difficult for the parents to identify whether their child lies in the healthy category or the weaker category. The body mass index or BMI can give the parents an idea of their children’s weight and height in a number and help them understand if the child is healthy, underweight or overweight according to their age. The BMI can also let you know if your child is at any risk of health problem depending on his or her weight.

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    Fatima Shreen's Avatar Member
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    Hello, it is highly recommended for doing a BMI screening by the government of India. A BMI screening can be done for the children above the age of two. The body mass index determines the amount of fat the body has and the BMI of a child is calculated exactly the same way how it is calculated in adults. Remember the body fat in children keep changing as they grow and can never be accurate as the adults. The BMI of children is different and vary from age and gender, and a BMI percentile is calculated in kids.

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    Ishika Seth's Avatar Member
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    There is a BMI calculator available which calculate the body mass index of the child. You can visit a doctor and calculate the BMI of the child over there or today the BMI calculators are easily available in stores and online you can order one to check the BMI at home itself. But show should be knowing the percentile which is necessary so that you understand the health of your child. The healthy weight is considered when the percentile is between the 5th to the 85th percentile. Below 5th is considered to be underweight and over 85th is considered to be overweight.

  5. #5
    Hi all, as parents you should also know the other percentiles like if the BMI percentile is above 95th percentile then the child is considered to be obese. My son is 5 years old and I recently checked his BMI percentile at a health care provider and has a BMI of 75th percentile and you might think that he is overweight or heavy but the fact is that he has a healthy weight. You might think that he has a higher BMI than the 70 children out of 100 but it is not measured by the number, but is the either way.

  6. #6
    There are some parents who feel that if their child has a high BMI their paediatrician would have told them earlier, but it is not necessarily like that. Sometimes a paediatrician is more focused on the other things rather than the weight issues of the child. As children have fluctuating weights all the time it keeps changing time to time, still if you feel concerned you can go ahead and ask him about it. Today all the schools have made it strict to check the BMI of all their students. This is a really good thing which the schools have started as they give the direct report of the BMI to the respective parents.

  7. #7
    neha francis's Avatar Member
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    Usually the BMI for kids is consider to be healthy weight and a good amount of fat in their body. But there are some cases which have happened in which the BMI has been misleading. Some children who love sports or athletics are usually more muscular and stronger than the other kids, when their BMI is checked it can be seen that they come under the overweight category which is not true as they are more muscular. This can be misleading, try to check if your child’s BMI is overweight or underweight then only try to consult your paediatrician for further process.

  8. #8
    Consulting a paediatrician is normal but I feel it is sometimes absolutely useless as well. He will just follow up with the exam and see your child’s condition, do some health regarding tests. Then he will also ask you about your child’s diet and physical activities and then then you whether the child’s weight is an issue or is completely normal. He or she might even ask about your family history and the health conditions in the family. All of this information will help the paediatrician to analysis the weight of your child. If you wish you can definitely go to the doctor but I personally do not feel like doing so.

  9. #9
    Riya Jain's Avatar Member
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    It is extremely important that the child has a good and balanced diet along with some physical activity daily. Remember everyone in your family needs at least five servings of food and children do not eat it. These servings should be of fruits and vegetables respectively. When children see adults having the food eventually they will also try to taste it and eat. It is necessary that you put a limit to their TV watching and compulsorily they should get at least one hour physical activity. This will help them be fit and active throughout. Eating breakfast, lunch and dinner sufficiently will provide them with the energy they required.

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