How can you tell if your child is overweight?

“Parents have to look for it, consider it, to see it,” says Allison Morrow, a registered and licensed dietitian at Children’s Medical Center Dallas. “If your child seems to be growing too fast, growing out of their clothes very fast, especially before puberty, you should check this out with your pediatrician.”

The doctor can help you learn whether your child is overweight. American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines recommend doctors check kids’ progress at least once a year using growth charts and a body mass index (BMI) calculator from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The BMI, which measures the relationship between a person’s weight and height, applies differently for children because their body fatness changes as they grow, and differs for boys and girls. The CDC offers growth charts for boys and girls ages 2 to 20. To learn more or find the calculators and growth charts, visit these Web sites:

• www.cdc.gov/growthcharts
• www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/growthcharts/bmi_tools.htm

To assess your child’s weight, go online to www.staywellsolutioncenters.com/assessment.html.