Is My Child Overweight for Her Height - Child Obesity Help

Everyone who loves children understands the appeal of a happy chubby baby; those dimpled cheeks and pudgy little fists are adorable, but if that baby turns into a tubby toddler, and then grows into a chunky child, this could be a sign of a trend and she (or he) will turn into an overweight and miserable teen. The fact that you are asking yourself "is my child overweight for her height" means that you are alert to the potential problems of child obesity; help is available and the sooner you take action, the better it will be for your child.

It can be difficult nowadays to tell whether your child is overweight (or even clinically obese); the "obesity epidemic" means that statistically getting on for a quarter of your child's friends will be overweight. When you look at a group of kids of around the same age, it's hard to decide whether some of the kids are on the skinny side and the other kids are average, or if the "average" looking kids are actually overweight and the skinny -looking kid is within the desired weight to height range.

You might instinctively feel that, although your child looks pretty much the same size as her school friends, she is carrying too much weight for her height. The first thing to do is to have your suspicions either confirmed or rejected. If you have been worrying unnecessarily, your fears can be put to rest; if your suspicions are confirmed, you will be able to take steps to help your child to lose the extra weight before the problem gets the chance to escalate.

Many people who suspect that their child is overweight use a BMI (body mass index) chart to check their child's weight/height ratio. If your child is seriously overweight, reference to a BMI chart will confirm your fears. Use of a BMI chart can, however, be misleading because the standard changes according to a child's age and, if your child is a borderline case, you could be lulled into a false belief that all is well. This would mean that you will be robbed of the chance to take immediate action to help your child.

The best course of action is to seek advice from a pediatrician; simply asking a doctor if your child is overweight for her height will be the first step towards helping your child to grow up without the misery and health risks associated with child obesity.

Asking your doctor "is my child overweight for her height" is the first step on the road to improved health and greater life expectancy for your child, this small step will also give your whole family the chance to enjoy the benefits of a healthier lifestyle.