Question
I want to know how to grade childhood obesity? According to a height of 96 centimeters and a weight of 21.5 kilograms, is this child considered obese? Additionally, I would like to know how childhood obesity is classified and calculated.
Answer
Childhood obesity is categorized into the following grades: mild obesity, moderate obesity, severe obesity, and extremely severe obesity. Obesity is determined by comparing the percentage of body weight of the child to that of their peers. When the body weight exceeds 10% more than that of their peers, it is classified as mild obesity; over 20% is moderate obesity; over 30% is severe obesity; over 50% is extremely severe obesity; and over 100% is considered severe obesity. The calculation method for childhood obesity uses the ratio of height to weight, also known as Body Mass Index (BMI). The formula is: weight (kilograms) divided by the square of height (meters). For children with normal weight, their BMI range is between 15.5 and 21.2. So, don’t worry too much; slightly overweight children are actually normal.