Helping the Overweight Child How to know if your child is
overweight "Overweight" and "at risk of overweight" are terms
sometimes used when referring to children who weigh more than
expected. Doctors use the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention growth charts or the Reference body mass index Opens
New Window (BMI) to measure a child's weight in relation to his
or her height. To find out your child's BMI, use this Reference
Interactive Tool: Is Your Child at a Healthy Weight? Reference
If you have concerns that your child is Reference overweight
Opens New Window or at risk of becoming so, first ask your
doctor to review your child's growth charts and medical history
with you. - If your child's BMI has been high on the growth
chart from birth, this may be his or her healthy size and growth
rate. He or she may simply be bigger than other children of the
same gender and age. - If your child's BMI pattern has suddenly
jumped from a lower range to a higher range on the growth chart,
your child may be at r