When you take your child to the doctor, does he or she measure height and weight and track the body-mass index using a specially designed chart for children? According to a study of 42 pediatricians in the Cincinnati area, such tracking was only performed on about 5 percent of 500 children who had a doctor's appointment.
Some of the reasons that doctors give for not tracking children's BMI are lack of knowledge about current recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics, which suggests BMI tracking, lack of time, and a belief that weight counseling wouldn't be effective.
What can you as a parent do? Request that your doctor track your child's BMI with a chart based upon age and gender at least twice a year. If you're worried that your child is overweight or at risk for overweight, ask your physician for help.