VIDEO Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen explains the charts. Real 28K 80K Windows Media 28K 80K     RESOURCES Body Mass Index calculator for children from the CDC Weight: (pounds) Height: (feet) Height: (inches) BMI: As children grow, their body fatness changes over the years. The interpretation of BMI depends on the child’s age. Additionally, girls and boys differ in their body fatness as they mature. Find out more information from the CDC website. How does your child rate among others? Use the following CDC charts to find out: (Requires the Adobe Acrobat reader) · Girls      · Boys (Information and data from the Centers from Disease Control and Prevention)

Your Health -- New growth charts help parents, doctors target obesity in children

June 2, 2000
Web posted at: 3:11 p.m. EDT (1911 GMT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Reflecting growing national concern about overweight children, the federal government on Tuesday issued new pediatric growth charts to help parents and doctors identify children at risk of becoming obese.

The charts -- available on the Web at http://www.cdc.gov/growthcharts/ -- use weight and height information to calculate a child's Body Mass Index, a measure of body fat. A similar calculation is already available for adults.

A BMI in the 85th to 95th percentile means the child is considered at risk for being overweight. A boy or girl ranking above the 95th percentile is considered overweight.

Such conclusions, however, may not apply to athletic children who weigh more because of muscle, not fat.

Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala called the new charts "an early warning signal" that can help parents keep their children at a healthy weight. About 10 percent of U.S. children are overweight, she said.

Dr. Susan Baker, head of the nutrition committee of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said pediatricians also need to focus on the problem of childhood obesity and intervene early.

Obesity is associated with health problems like diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure, Baker said.

CNN Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen contributed to this report.

Your Health airs each Saturday at 2:30 p.m. EDT, and Sunday at 3 p.m. EDT.

Is your child overweight? Charts will tell
May 30, 2000
U.S. to change charts because all kids weigh too much
September 14, 1998
Obesity rising in U.S. children
October 2, 1995

National Center for Health Statistics
American Academy of Pediatrics

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.