Weight Loss

A majority of children in the present day scenario suffer from the problem of excessive weight. Though this problem has become rampant, parents are still unable to identify whether or not their child is suffering from obesity. Many a times, parents tend to take the extra weight as a part of the growing process. This results in prolonged obesity which could lead to further health risks.

It is for this reason that it becomes important for parents to know how to identify obesity in children. There are two main tools that are used to identify obesity in children namely BMI and growth charts. Let us take a detailed look at each of these.

BMI (Body Mass Index)
In simple words, BMI or Body Mass Index can be defined as the relationship between the weight and the height of an individual. The BMI is used to ascertain whether an individual is obese or not. It is also used to figure out the health risks of an individual. Body Mass Index is calculated by dividing the body weight of an individual by the height.

As per the American Obesity Association, if the BMI of your child falls in the 85th percentile, he is considered to be overweight. This marks a high risk situation and calls for an appropriate weight loss solution. However, if your child's body mass index falls in the 95th percentile, he or she is said to be suffering from obesity. This is said to be a severe health condition and may call for proper medical intervention.

There are several reasons why BMI in 95th percentile is considered as a marker of obesity. Here are some of them.

* BMI in 95th percentile calls for the need for proper medical assessment.
* It serves as an indication of the fact that obesity may persist even in adulthood.
* It is linked to various health risks such as high blood pressure and increased risk of various diseases.
* It calls for more aggressive and effective weight loss solution.

Growth charts
Growth charts are yet another tool that is used to identify obesity in children. These charts study the physical growth of the child by taking factors such as safe, height and weight into account. Growth charts make use of percentile curves in order to determine if your child is suffering from obesity or not. While growth charts can be an important tool to assess obesity in children, they cannot be taken as the sole criterion. Growth charts can only be used as a part of the overall assessment.

Once you are able to determine that your child is obese, you need to look for a proper weight loss solution.