Arriving at an ideal weight for a child can be complicated sometimes. Adults use the Body Mass Index to measure their ideal weight. But for children, this is not the case. Their ideal weight are calculated on length for age and weight for age percentile charts.
Children falling into the 95th percentile range are considered overweight. For children whose weight are above the 85th percentile, the danger of being overweight exist for them.
The growth charts for comparison for children between the age of 2 -20 months can be obtained from the cdc website at www.cdc.gov/growthcharts.
It’s important to remember that this is just a general guideline.You shouldn’t become too obsessed with making your child’s weight fit into a specific category. Instead, worry about his or her overall health.
Our lifestyle has a great influence on our children weight as well. Unhealthy eating habits will definitely result in your child falling into the 85th percentile weight range. But to be sure , consult your pediatrician first before you determine that he or she is overweight.
It’s important to help your child maintain a healthy weight because that will contribute to a healthy adult weight. However, it’s also important that you take things in moderation. Constantly weighing your child and becoming fanatical about keeping his weight on target can do more harm than good.
Use your common sense to monitor your child’s weight. Help your child to have a healthy lifestyle by providing her with a nutritious diet and plenty of opportunities to exercise. It’s also critical for you to be a good role model.
Remember children learn by example. So keeping a good lifestyle for yourself will result in the child emulating you. And when you have made effort to keep your family healthy, this will result in the child having a healthy weight also.