According to a study, a child’s BMI at age 6 is a better predictor of their likelihood of being overweight or obese at age 18 than their BMI at other stages of development. Due to its convenience, the BMI—a rough estimate of obesity derived from height and weight—is frequently used.
Nevertheless, the BMI has limitations because it is a measure solely based on height and weight and does not explicitly show body fat or skeletal muscle mass.
The researchers tracked changes in the BMI of thousands of Dutch children using data from a prospective cohort study. Of the 3,528 participants who submitted their birth weight and BMI at ages 2, 6, 10, 14, and 18, 52.9% were female.
The researchers explained that they used the rate of increase in the BMI as an indicator because children’s BMI typically rises with age.
According to the study, 32.3%, 22.3%, 24.7%, and 20.6% of the 3,528 children were overweight or obese at ages 2, 6, 10, and 14, respectively. Additionally, the researchers noted that overweight and obesity at age 18 were especially closely associated with a high BMI at age 6. Achieving a healthy weight after age 6 did not have the same impact as slowing the rate of BMI increase before age 6, which could reduce the risk of being overweight or obese at age 18 to a normal level.
Through the study’s findings, the researchers emphasized how crucial monitoring a child’s BMI is.
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