Norm in Pennelville asks: Where do I find the Body Mass Index (BMI) for my 9 year old, and does age matter when finding it out?
Our friends at Health Connections at SUNY Upstate Medical University referred Norm to the Centers for Disease Control website, where they found the following information:
Body Mass Index (BMI) is a number calculated from a child’s weight and height. BMI is a reliable indicator of body fatness for most children and teens. BMI does not measure body fat directly, but research has shown that BMI correlates to direct measures of body fat, such as underwater weighing and dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA). BMI is an inexpensive and easy-to-perform method of screening for weight categories that may lead to health problems.
For children and teens, BMI is age- and sex-specific and is often referred to as BMI-for-age. A child's measurement changes very frequently as they grow.
After BMI is calculated for children and teens, the BMI number is plotted on the CDC BMI-for-age growth charts (for either girls or boys) to obtain a percentile ranking. Percentiles are the most commonly used indicator to assess the size and growth patterns of individual children in the United States. The percentile indicates the relative position of the child’s BMI number among children of the same sex and age. The growth charts show the weight status categories used with children and teens (underweight, healthy weight, at risk of overweight, and overweight).You can find more information on Body Mass Index on the
Centers for Disease Control website, including a Child & Teen BMI Calculator.
And you can get answers to health questions for the whole family at
Health Connections, a service of our partners at SUNY Upstate Medical University.
