What Every Parent Should Know About As children grow and their bodies change, it's not always easy for parents to tell if a child falls within a healthy weight range. Body mass index, or for short, is a way of describing height and weight in one number that can help tell if someone's weight is is in a healthy range. Your child's can help you determine if he is at risk for health problems based on his weight. The CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend screenings for all kids age 2 and older. Here's what you need to know about checking on your child's and what to do with the info once you have it. What is for Kids? estimates how much body fat you have. Calculating a child's number starts out just like calculating an adult's. It's based on height and weight. But for kids, height and weight alone aren't as accurate as they are for adults. Why? Because kids' body fat percentages change as they grow. Kids' s vary based on their age and gender. That's why when health care professionals talk about a child's, you won't usually hear a plain number, like, but rather a percentile, like 75th. These percentiles show how a child's compares to other children of the same age and gender. To calculate the percentile -- which is also called " for age" -- a health care provider or an online tool like WebMD s FIT Kids Calculator takes a kid's (along with age and gender) and looks it up on a pediatric growth curve. This gives the child's percentile. percentiles are grouped into weight categories: Underweight: below the 5th percentile Healthy Weight: 5th percentile up to the 85th percentile Overweight: 85th percentile up to the 95th percentile Obese: 95th percentile or higher So, for example, a 6-year-old boy with a 75th percentile has a higher than 75 out of 100 6-year-old boys. And though you may think that means he is heavy, he is considered a healthy weight. Talking With Your Pediatrician About for Kids Many parents assume that if their child had a high, their pediatrician would tell them. But that's not necessarily the case. Sometimes pediatricians may not bring up weight issues with parents. So if you're interested in your child's percentile, it's best to ask directly. Some school districts have started to measure all children's s in school. The school then sends home a report card to alert parents to any weight issues. Although some parents don't like the idea of schools sending report cards with their child's, experts say that the point is not to embarrass anyone. It's to let parents know about a health problem with serious consequences.
Studies from the U.K. show that children's report cards can work. One study found that after getting a report, about 50% of the parents with overweight children made some healthy changes to their lifestyle.
2 to years: Girls Body mass index-for-age percentiles NAME RECORD # Date Age Weight Stature * Comments 35 97 34 33 32 95 31 30 90 85 75 50 10 3 29 28 AGE (YEARS) 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Published May 30, 00 (modified 10//00). SOURCE: Developed by the National Center for Health Statistics in collaboration with the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (00). http://www.cdc.gov/growthcharts Brought to you by
2 to years: Boys Body mass index-for-age percentiles NAME RECORD # Date Age Weight Stature * Comments 35 34 33 32 97 95 90 85 75 50 10 3 31 30 29 28 AGE (YEARS) 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Published May 30, 00 (modified 10//00). SOURCE: Developed by the National Center for Health Statistics in collaboration with the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (00). http://www.cdc.gov/growthcharts Brought to you by
parent tips Calories Needed Each Day It s important to know the number of calories you need to eat to stay healthy. Do you know how many calories you and your family need each day? How many calories you need each day ENERGY IN depends on a few things: Your age Whether you are male or female How active you are The tables on the next pages show the calories needed each day for boys and men, and for girls and women. They are split by age and three levels of activity. Not Active Not much ENERGY OUT. Does only light activity needed for daily life. For instance, cooking or walking to the mailbox. Somewhat Active Some ENERGY OUT. Does physical activity equal to walking quickly for 1 ½ to 3 miles (about 30 40 minutes) each day. Plus, does light activity needed for daily life. Very Active A lot of ENERGY OUT. Does physical activity equal to walking quickly for more than 3 miles each day (more than 40 minutes). Plus, does light activity needed for daily life. not active somewhat active very active
These tables give you an idea of how much ENERGY IN your family members need. The amount of calories needed differs by age based on the level of regular physical activity. That s why the tables give a range of calories for some age groups. For children, more calories are needed at older ages. For adults, fewer calories are needed at older ages. Calories Needed Each Day for Boys and Men Age Not Active Somewhat Active Very Active 2 3 years 1,000 1,0 calories 1,000 1,400 calories 1,000 1,400 calories 4 8 years 1,0 1,400 calories 1,400 1,600 calories 1,600 2,000 calories 9 years 1,600 2,000 calories 1,800 2,0 calories 2,000 2,600 calories years 2,000 2,400 calories 2,400 2,800 calories 2,800 3,0 calories 30 years 2,400 2,600 calories 2,600 2,800 calories 3,000 calories 31 50 years 2,0 2,400 calories 2,400 2,600 calories 2,800 3,000 calories 51 years and older 2,000 2,0 calories 2,0 2,400 calories 2,400 2,800 calories Calories Needed Each Day for Girls and Women Age Not Active Somewhat Active Very Active 2 3 years 1,000 calories 1,000 1,0 calories 1,000 1,400 calories 4 8 years 1,0 1,400 calories 1,400 1,600 calories 1,400 1,800 calories 9 years 1,400 1,600 calories 1,600 2,000 calories 1,800 2,0 calories production note: second side Calories Needed Each Day years 1,800 calories 2,000 calories 2,400 calories 30 years 1,800 2,000 calories 2,000 2,0 calories 2,400 calories 31 50 years 1,800 calories 2,000 calories 2,0 calories 51 years and older 1,600 calories 1,800 calories 2,000 2,0 calories Source: HHS/USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 10 We Can! is a program from the National Institutes of Health that offers resources for parents, caregivers and communities to help children 8- years old stay at a healthy weight through eating right, increasing physical activity, and reducing screen time. To learn more, go to http://wecan.nhlbi.nih.gov or call 1-866-35-WECAN. We Can! Ways to Enhance Children s Activity & Nutrition, We Can!, and the We Can! logos are registered trademarks of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS).
10 tips Nutrition Education Series be a healthy role model for children 10 tips for setting good examples You are the most important influence on your child. You can do many things to help your children develop healthy eating habits for life. Offering a variety of foods helps children get the nutrients they need from every food group. They will also be more likely to try new foods and to like more foods. When children develop a taste for many types of foods, it s easier to plan family meals. Cook together, eat together, talk together, and make mealtime a family time! 1show by example 6 Eat vegetables, fruits, and whole grains with meals or as snacks. Let your child see that you like to munch on raw vegetables. 2 go food shopping together Grocery shopping can teach your child about food and nutrition. Discuss where vegetables, fruits, grains, dairy, and protein foods come from. Let your children make healthy choices. focus on each other at the table Talk about fun and happy things at mealtime. Turn off the television. Take phone calls later. Try to make eating meals a stress-free time. 7 listen to your child If your child says he or she is hungry, offer a small, healthy snack even if it is not a scheduled time to eat. Offer choices. Ask Which would you like for dinner: broccoli or cauliflower? instead of Do you want broccoli for dinner? 3 get creative in the kitchen Cut food into fun and easy shapes with cookie cutters. Name a food your child helps make. Serve Janie s Salad or Jackie s Sweet Potatoes for dinner. Encourage your child to invent new snacks. Make your own trail mixes from dry whole-grain, low-sugar cereal and dried fruit. 4 offer the same foods for everyone Stop being a short-order cook by making different dishes to please children. It s easier to plan family meals when everyone eats the same foods. 8 limit screen time Allow no more than 2 hours a day of screen time like TV and computer games. Get up and move during commercials to get some physical activity. 9 encourage physical activity Make physical activity fun for the whole family. Involve your children in the planning. Walk, run, and play with your child instead of sitting on the sidelines. Set an example by being physically active and using safety gear, like bike helmets. 5 reward with attention, not food 10 Show your love with hugs and kisses. Comfort with hugs and talks. Choose not to offer sweets as rewards. It lets your child think sweets or dessert foods are better than other foods. When meals are not eaten, kids do not need extras such as candy or cookies as replacement foods. be a good food role model Try new foods yourself. Describe its taste, texture, and smell. Offer one new food at a time. Serve something your child likes along with the new food. Offer new foods at the beginning of a meal, when your child is very hungry. Avoid lecturing or forcing your child to eat. United States Department of Agriculture Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion Go to www.choosemyplate.gov for more information. DG TipSheet No. June 11 USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.