How to Tell If Your Toddler Is Overweight

Kids at any age seem to be just perfect for their parents. When it comes to their weight issues, especially in toddlers, it becomes difficult for parents to comprehend whether it’s just baby fat or their child is actually leading towards obesity! Well, if you are a conscious parent and wish to know whether your toddler is overweight and other toddler obesity facts, reading this post will prove to be highly beneficial!

What Is Toddler Obesity?

As strange as it may sound, but toddler obesity is becoming a cause of concern. It shows an upward trend, with approximately 14 per cent of kids (2 to 5 years of age) in America falling into the obese category. This percentage is higher in lower-income households. Apart from facing health issues, obesity also puts kids at risk of developing health complications later in life. It can become difficult for the kids to shift from the obese category to the healthy category later in life because of unhealthy lifestyle habits.

The AAP or American Academy of Pediatrics and CDC or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that parents should calculate their toddler’s BMI or Body Mass Index to establish whether their kid falls in a normal, overweight, or obese category or if parents are looking for a ‘is my toddler overweight’ calculator!

Toddler’s Growth & BMI

Measuring your child’s growth and development together can help you establish whether or not your kid is overweight or has any weight issues, and BMI is an effective parameter in helping you know is myoddler overweight!

Toddler BMI

At around two years of age, BMI or body mass index can be helpful in knowing the size and weight of your child! If your child falls in the 85th percentile or higher category, it means that your child comes in the overweight category. However, if it falls into 95th percentile or higher than that, then it indicates obesity!

Just like in adults, calculating BMI can help you know in which range of percentile your child falls into, but it may not be a clear indicator of your child’s health.

Weight & Length Percentiles of Toddler

In case your kid is less than two years of age, then the percentiles of your child’s weight and length are taken into consideration to establish the child’s growth and development.

However, parents should not worry or obsess about these percentiles until they show consistency in their growth curve. For example, if the child is below the 75th percentile and healthy and is eating well, there is no reason to fret or be concerned. But at the same time, if there is a sudden jump or fall in the percentile, you need to take note of the same and get in touch with your doctor to establish the sudden changes in the growth curve.

How to Know If Your Toddler Is Overweight

Just like your child acquires various skills and crosses many growth and development milestones, your child’s weight also becomes an important indicator of your child’s health. And sometimes just a few kilograms more or less could make a significant difference. However, as kids start to walk, they may start shedding the extra weight.

Many options, such as the CDC calculator, can help parents know whether their kid comes in the underweight, normal, overweight, or obese category. However, this tool is most viable for kids who are two years or older as this is the tool that health professionals and doctors take into consideration to measure the body mass index or BMI growth charts for this age kids.