Each BMI chart is divided into percentiles that compare measurements with children the ... Spotting trends early can be helpful before a child's weight loss or weight gain become a problem. Overweight ...

To see if your child is too skinny or overweight, there is a "weight for height" chart or a "BMI" index. These tell if your child's weight is close to what it should be, given her height.

On the growth charts, the percentiles are shown as lines drawn in curved patterns. When doctors plot a child's weight and height on the chart, they see which percentile line those measurements land on ...

Plotting a child's BMI-for-age on the appropriate CDC growth chart (see charts on right) can alert parents to early signs that their child is gaining weight too fast, enabling them to help their child ...