HEIGHT, WEIGHT, AND BMI – FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
AUGUSTA HEALTH WOW (WORKING ON WELLNESS) CHILDREN/YOUTH PROGRAM
What is Body Mass Index?
Body Mass Index (BMI) is a number based on height and weight that can be useful in screening persons for weight that may lead to health issues. It is used for all ages; however, for children and teens, the BMI depends not only on height and weight, but also on their age and whether they are a boy or a girl.
Why are the School Nurses working with community agencies to notify me of this?
We believe that this information may be useful to you. The BMI is just a screening tool, but it may be useful to your physician since children with high BMI’s may be at risk for some of the same health problems that overweight adults may have. If your child has a lot of muscles, a high BMI might not be important. However, children in a high percentile for body mass index are much more likely to be overweight adults with an increased risk for high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes and stroke. Children and teens also may be at risk for diseases before adulthood, such as Type 2 diabetes.
My child has a BMI-for-age that is less than 5%. What does that mean?
This means that your child’s BMI calculation indicates that your child is underweight. Although it is possible for healthy children to be underweight, being underweight may point to a possible health problem.
My child has a BMI-for-age that is over the 85th percentile. What does that mean?
This means that your child’s BMI calculation places him/her in the top 15% of children. This does not necessarily mean that your child will have related health problems to weight, but it could be time for you to discuss weight as a health issue with your child’s health professional. If the BMI is over 95%, your child would be categorized as obese.
My child has a BMI greater than 85%. What should I do?
If your child has a body mass index higher than the 85th percentile, we suggest that you discuss this with your doctor when your child has a regular checkup. You should not put your child on a weight loss diet without the guidance of a health professional, although we can all do things to improve the health of our family’s nutrition and physical activity.
Do I need to inform the School Nurse of what steps I have taken?
No. We have provided this information to you strictly for your family’s benefit. If you do discuss the screening results with your health-care provider, we would like to hear from you or your doctor since this helps us to improve the program.
Where can I get additional information?
For more information, talk to your personal physician. You can also talk to the school nurse or call the WOW Children/Youth Coordinator, Augusta Health Community Wellness Department, at 332/932-4906.
8/04 BMI faq; revised 6/08, 7/09