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Body Mass Index (BMI)

Body Mass Index (BMI)

What is body mass index?

Determining how much your adolescent should weigh is not a simple matter of looking at an insurance height-weight chart, but includes considering the amount of bone, muscle, and fat in his/her body's composition. The amount of fat is the critical measurement.

A good indicator of how much fat your adolescent carries is the Body Mass Index (BMI). Although it is not a perfect measure, it gives a fairly accurate assessment of how much of your adolescent's body is composed of fat.

To calculate your BMI:

Take your adolescent's weight in pounds and divide by 2.2 to determine his/her weight in kilograms. This is the "weight number."
Next, convert your adolescent's height in inches into height in centimeters by multiplying the number of inches by 2.54.
- Divide your adolescent's height in centimeters by 100 (there are 100 centimeters per meter).
- Next, square your adolescent's height in meters by multiplying the sum by itself. This number is the "height number."
Now, divide your adolescent's weight number by your adolescent's height number.

A BMI between 25-29 is considered overweight. Anything over 30 is considered obese.


		Programs that treat this condition:

		Endocrinology Program
		One Step Ahead Program
		Optimal Weight for Life (OWL) Program


					Children's Hospital Boston is the primary pediatric teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School

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