What is Body Mass Index BMI

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What is Body Mass Index(BMI)
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Body Mass Index

• is a number calculated using the measurement
  of a childs weight

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• and height.

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• BMI in children
• is age and sex specific because of the difference
  in the normal growth curves for boys and girls.
• is recommended by the Center for Disease
  Prevention and Control (CDC) and the American
  Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) to screen for
  overweight in children beginning at age 2.

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• BMI is used as a method of screening for weight
  categories that may lead to health problems.
• Screening tools are used to indicate which
  students need further evaluation.
• Further evaluation by a family doctor may
  include skinfold measurements, assessment of
  diet, exercise and activity.

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BMI Percentile

• The childs BMI is checked on a standardized
  growth grid and given a percentile ranking.
• Percentile indicates the relative position of a
  childs BMI number among other children of the
  same sex and age.
• BMI percentile is then checked for weight status
  category to give some indication of relative risk
  for overweight.

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Weight Status Category

• Weight status categories are then assigned
  according to the BMI percentiles.

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Health Consequences for Children and Teens

• Overweight children may have risk factors for
  cardiovascular disease
• elevated cholesterol
• elevated insulin
• elevated blood pressure

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For additional information and resources

• Contact your family physician.
• Check out the CDC website and search for BMI.
  There is a great BMI calculator at the website
  that will calculate BMI for children and adults.
• http//www.cdc.gov

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• This presentation was made possible through
  funding from the Carol M. White Physical
  Education Program Grant