How is childhood obesity measured in the UK?

Defining overweight and obesity in children BMI is calculated by dividing their weight (in kilograms) by the square of their height (in metres), and for children, this is then compared to a reference sample of measurements gathered in 1990, which takes age and sex into account.

What is considered an obese kid?

If a child’s BMI is higher than 85% (85 out of 100) of other children their age and sex, they are considered at risk of being overweight. If a child’s BMI is higher than 95% (95 out of 100) of other children their age and sex, they are considered overweight or obese.

What percentile is obese in children?

Obesity is defined as a BMI at or above the 95th percentile for children and teens of the same age and sex.

How is childhood obesity measured?

The most precise way to measure obesity in a child is by using BMI-for-age percentiles. You cannot measure children’s weight using solely BMI. You must calculate BMI and then plot it on the BMI-for-age percentile graph to find the child’s weight status.

What is considered obese for a 3 year old?

Technically, a BMI at the 85th percentile or higher (but less than the 95th percentile) means a child is overweight. A BMI at or above the 95th percentile means a child is obese.

What is considered overweight for a 7 year old?

For example, a 7-year-old boy who is 3 feet 11 inches (119 cm) tall would have to weigh at least 56.9 pounds (25.8 kg) ( BMI = 17.9) to be considered overweight, and a 13-year-old girl who is 5 feet, 3 inches (160 cm) tall would be considered obese if she weighed 161 pounds (73 kg) ( BMI = 28.5).

Why is it hard to measure obesity in children?

The assessment of childhood obesity using BMI and other anthropometric measures is more complicated than that of adults. The major limitation of anthropometric measures to determine obesity in children is that most are confounded by natural, age-related physiological variations in body composition.

How much does obesity cost the NHS 2021?

It is estimated that overweight and obesity related conditions across the UK are costing the NHS £6.1 billion each year [footnote 16].