Being underweight or overweight during the primary school years may cause health problems in the long term. Always see your doctor if you are concerned about your child’s growth. There are lots of things you can do to help your children maintain a healthy weight.
Many primary school children believe they are either too fat or too thin (skinny), even if they fall within the normal weight range for their height and age. At this stage, primary school aged children have begun to notice the media messages surrounding body image and they think about how they look.
Your reaction is important
How parents react to their child’s body image issues is very important. Parents and guardians are the main role models for children (of all ages), despite the powerful influences of peers and the media.
Try to be a good role model and establish healthy eating habits for yourself and the whole family. Don’t ‘crash diet’ or skip meals yourself and talk to your children about the importance of healthy eating habits for people of all ages. Try to involve your children in physical activities they enjoy – perhaps do things together as a family, like walking or bike riding. This is the perfect time for your child to learn about the importance of healthy food and activity.
Weight problems in childhood can cause problems
Being underweight or overweight can cause problems now and when your child is an adult. For example:
- Severely restricting food or dieting before puberty can stunt a child’s growth.
- Overweight children may be teased in the schoolyard, which may make them self-conscious and affect their attitude to school.
- Obese children are less likely to take part in physical activity, which can make it even harder for them to manage their weight.
- Childhood obesity can increase the risk of a child developing a range of illnesses in later life such as diabetes and heart disease.
Growth charts in Australia
Growth charts are used to measure children’s growth. Measurements are taken from studies of the population as a whole and reflect the normal range of height and weight for children within a particular group (for example, all children born in a particular year).
The charts are divided into sections, called ‘percentiles’, which show the proportion of the group that is above or below a particular measurement. For example, a child who is on the 85th percentile for height is taller than 85 per cent of other children in Australia (of the same age and gender) but shorter than 15 per cent of other children.
In 2005 Victoria adopted a recommendation of the National Health and Medical Research Council to use the United States Centre for Disease Control growth charts to assess and monitor the growth of children.
How growth is measured
Doctors, nurses and other health professionals use a variety of ways to assess growth in primary school children. The most common ways include:
- Growth charts – standard growth references or growth charts are used to help interpret the child’s height and weight measurements.
- BMI – a calculation of BMI (body mass index) and use of age-specific BMI charts gives an indication of weight-for-height ratio.
- Body composition analysis – this measures the amount of body fat or muscle. For example, the ‘skin fold test’ involves gently pinching the skin with callipers (a two-pronged measuring tool) to assess the amount of fat below the skin. Underwater weighing is a more accurate body composition test, but it’s expensive and mostly used for research purposes.
Body mass index (BMI) percentile charts for children
The body mass index, or BMI, is the most common way to assess whether a person is underweight, normal weight or overweight. The BMI is a number that interprets a person’s weight in relation to their height. It is calculated by dividing a person’s weight in kilograms by their height in metres squared.
BMI = Weight (kg)
Height (m)2
As children grow, their amount of body fat changes and so will their BMI. For example, BMI usually drops during the preschool years and then increases into adulthood. So a BMI calculation for a child (or for an adolescent) must be looked at together with age and gender percentile charts.
BMI percentile charts are now available for use in children over the age of two, to assess weight and obesity. The charts use percentile cut-offs as a guide only. Weight above the 85th percentile and below the 95th percentile indicates a child is overweight. The 95th percentile and above indicates obesity.
See your doctor if you are worried
Always see your doctor if you are concerned about your child’s growth. Your doctor can use a range of charts to help assess whether or not your child’s growth is of concern.
Where to get help
- Your doctor
- An Accredited Practising Dietitian, contact the Dietitians Association of Australia
- Primary school nurse
- Nurse-on-call Tel. 1300 60 60 24
- Go for your life Infoline service Tel. 1300 739 899
- Primary School Nursing Program, Office for Children and Early Childhood Development Tel. (03) 9096 8653
- The Royal Children’s Hospital Tel. (03) 9345 5522
Things to remember
- Parents and carers are the main role models for children (of all ages), despite the powerful influences of peers and the media.
- Primary school children pick up the media messages surrounding body image and are thinking about how they look.
- Being underweight or overweight can cause health problems in the long term.
You might also be interested in:
Child development (1) - newborn to three months.
Child development (2) - three to six months.
Child development (3) - six to nine months.
Child development (4) - nine to 12 months.
Child development (5) - one to two years.
Child development (6) - two to three years.
Child development (7) - three to four years.
Growth - assessing babies to preschoolers.
Growth - assessing teenagers.
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