Is your child obese? The chances are very good that he or she is actually obese, since one out of every three kids is considered overweight, or obese in the United States. There are several reasons why your child might have become obese, which we will address, but first, let’s determine whether your child actually is obese or not.

Whether a child or adult is considered obese or just overweight – there is a difference – is determined by the BMI, or Body Mass Index. The BMI is determined with a calculation that uses the height and weight of a person to determine what the BMI is. The formula for determining the BMI is weight x 703, divided by the height, squared. There are numerous free online BMI calculators that you can use, where you simply put in your child’s weight and height to get the actual BMI percentage number.

But what do these numbers mean, in terms of determining whether a child is obese or not? There is a nationally accepted chart for this purpose. If the BMI is under 18.5, the child is underweight. If the BMI is 18.5 to 24.9, the child’s weight is normal. If the BMI is 25 to 29.9, the child is overweight, and if it is 30 or above, the child is obese. The same is true for adults.

If your child has a BMI from 25 (overweight) to 30 or above (obese), it’s time to take stock and visit your doctor. You first need to make sure that there is no medical cause for your child’s obesity. Some medical conditions can cause a person to gain weight very easily, or make it impossible to lose weight when that is needed. A checkup is called for.

Next, if there is no medical cause for the child being overweight or obese, you must think seriously about the child’s normal day. What activities does your child participate in, in terms of physical activity and exercise? What is your child eating? Are you aware of all snacks that your child gets? What is the child drinking? You absolutely must determine what has caused the child to become overweight in the first place if you are going to do anything about it.

Next, work with your doctor to create a meal and exercise plan for your child. Understand that your child may resist this meal plan and exercise plan, but it is essential that you get your child’s cooperation. This can usually be done by having your doctor point out the potential health problems associated with obesity to your child. Just be careful not to stomp all over your child’s self esteem in an effort to help them lose weight.

Angela likes talking about Urbane Scrubs and Landau Scrubs as well as Landau Scrub Tops and also likes writing articles about various topics.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010 at 12:54 pm and is filed under Weight Loss And Healthy Living. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.