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DO YOU NEED TO LOSE WEIGHT?

Your doctor or healthcare provider is the best source to help you determine if you need to lose weight.  Your doctor may use the Body Mass Index (BMI) chart or a weight calculator for kids, similar to the height/weight/BMI calculator on our site.  BMI is weight/(height)² which is your weight divided by your height times itself.  Our calculator uses the most recent height, weight, and BMI charts and weight assessment recommendations for kids ages 2 - 20 from the United States Center for Disease Control.  If your BMI is between the 5th and 85th percentile, then your weight is in the healthy range for your age and sex.  If your BMI is greater than the 85th percentile, which means your BMI is greater than the BMI of 85 out of 100 typical kids your age and sex, then you are "at risk for becoming overweight".  If your BMI is above the 95th percentile, then you are "overweight", according to heath experts.  If your BMI is above the 85th or 95th percentile, your doctor may recommend a diet or exercise program to keep your weight at the same level, so that as your height increases you will "grow into" a healthy BMI range.  If you are at the age where you have stopped growing in height, or you are very overweight, your doctor may recommend that you lose weight.  Children, especially if they are still growing, should not attempt weight loss except under the supervision of a doctor or dietitian.  Losing too much weight in growing children, or losing it too rapidly can impair growth in height as well as impair normal body development.  Too rapid weight loss at any age can also cause other health problems such as gall stones.

If your BMI is below the 5th percentile for your age, then you are considered "underweight."  Being underweight as a child is dangerous because it can impair growth in height as well as normal body development.  Some kids believe that they are overweight when they really are not.  These kids may have a distorted body image.  They are terrified of gaining weight. They believe they are fat even though they are healthy weight or even very thin. They often try to lose weight when they do not need to, and they can become severely underweight.  Losing weight because of a distorted body image can lead to a disorder called anorexia nervosa.  Anorexia nervosa is an illness that usually occurs in teenage girls, but it can also occur in boys.  Anorexia is very dangerous.  It is essentially  self-starvation.  Anorexia can permanently harm a child's growth and development, and in extreme cases anorexia can result in death.

Both excessive overeating and anorexia are not just problems with food or weight. They are an attempt to use food or weight to deal with emotional problems.  Psychological counseling is therefore recommended for kids who are excessively overweight or anorexic. 

WHAT IS SAFE WEIGHT LOSS?

The rate of safe weight loss for each child depends on many factors.  For children who are only mildly or moderately overweight and are still growing in height, simply maintaining their weight at the current level may allow them to "grow into their weight".  Remember that BMI is weight divided by height squared, so an increase in height of only a few inches with weight remaining the same will lower the BMI dramatically.  

If an overweight child has stopped growing, or is still growing but is excessively overweight, some doctors and dietitians recommend 1-2 pounds per week as a rate of safe weight loss^1,2,3.  Others recommend losing only one pound per month⁴.  Your doctor can access your need to lose weight and recommend a safe rate of weight loss for you.  Please consult with your doctor or healthcare professional before undertaking a weight loss program.  And if you are undertaking weight loss, it is important to weigh yourself at least once a week, so that you do not lose more than the amount recommended by your doctor.