Check your child’s BMI

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Published on Thursday, 15 October 2009

Childhood obesity is a major issue nowadays and many parents of children who are overweight do not realise their child is above the healthy weight range for their height and age.  Even if they do, those extra pounds might be put down to ‘puppy fat,’ genes or ‘big bones’.

Being overweight as a child is a condition that should be taken seriously.  Overweight children may become obese and suffer physically and emotionally.  Not only can their size cause problems now, but if they continue to gain weight at an excessive rate, it is likely to lead to health issues in the future.

How can I find out my child’s BMI?

It is very important that you do not use an adult BMI calculator as adult versions are not set up to be accurate for children.  Use this link to use a calculator specifically to measure children’s BMI

The government's Change4life campaign also has lots of ideas to help improve the health of your whole family. The post it note tips we have on our site are all from Change4life.

There are several organisations dedicated to helping families to become fitter. Find out more on our childrens page.