Body Mass Index (BMI) is used to determine one's mass in relation to height. To calculate BMI, a person's weight in kilograms is divided by the square of height in meters.
BMI is specific by age and sex for children and teens, and it can be seen on charts in pediatric practices. This is called BMI-for-age. A high amount of body fat can lead to weight-related issues. Being underweight can also put one's health at risk.
BMI does not measure body fat directly, but it is considered with more direct measures of body fat to help determine overweight-related issues. A high BMI can be a symptom of high body fat content. BMI is an inexpensive, simple method of screening for weight categories that may lead to health problems.
Listen in as Naveen Mehrotra, MD, discusses how you can use BMI to monitor your child for weight-related issues.
Selected Podcast
Why BMI is Important to Monitor in Kids
Featuring:
Dr. Naveen Mehrotra is a pediatrician in private practice. Dr. Mehrotra completed his medical training from the State University of New York at Stony Brook and his Pediatric training at the University of Chicago. Practicing in Central New Jersey with one of the highest concentrations of South Asians, Dr. Mehrotra is dedicated to improving the health of South Asian immigrants. With a lack of awareness in areas such as disease prevention within the community, Dr. Mehrotra helped found the Shri Krishna Nidhi (SKN) Foundation, a community based non-profit organization to address these needs at a grassroots level which has a mission to promote well being through community based education. SKN believes that proper physical health, spiritual, and cultural health all lead to a person’s well-being. Projects of the SKN Foundation help to further this mission. To help achieve these educational goals, the Foundation also propagates scholarship programs based on merit and need. Dr. Mehrotra had also been a key person in the founding of the South Asian Total Health Initiative (SATHI), a research and education based initiative at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School where he is also a volunteer faculty.
Naveen Mehrotra, MD, FAAP AAP
Dr. Naveen Mehrotra is a pediatrician in private practice. Dr. Mehrotra completed his medical training from the State University of New York at Stony Brook and his Pediatric training at the University of Chicago. Practicing in Central New Jersey with one of the highest concentrations of South Asians, Dr. Mehrotra is dedicated to improving the health of South Asian immigrants. With a lack of awareness in areas such as disease prevention within the community, Dr. Mehrotra helped found the Shri Krishna Nidhi (SKN) Foundation, a community based non-profit organization to address these needs at a grassroots level which has a mission to promote well being through community based education. SKN believes that proper physical health, spiritual, and cultural health all lead to a person’s well-being. Projects of the SKN Foundation help to further this mission. To help achieve these educational goals, the Foundation also propagates scholarship programs based on merit and need. Dr. Mehrotra had also been a key person in the founding of the South Asian Total Health Initiative (SATHI), a research and education based initiative at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School where he is also a volunteer faculty.