"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 body mass index (BMI) to measure a child's
weight in relation to his or her height. To find out your
child's BMI, use this Interactive Tool: Is Your Child at a
Healthy Weight? If you have concerns that your child is
overweight or at risk of becoming so, first ask your doctor to
review your child's growth charts and medical history with you.
Sometimes a child's BMI and weight can increase without a child
being at risk of having too much body fat. For instance, before
and during puberty it is normal for children to have a
significant gain in weight before they begin to grow in height.
Also, children who are very muscular (such as children who are
very active in sports), may have a high BMI but have normal or
even lower-than-normal amounts of body fat. If your child's BMI
and growth pattern suggest a weight