How Can I Find Out if My Child is Overweight or Underweight? (GIRLS)
(Content revised 04/2015)
Method:
- Measure your child's weight (in kg) and height (in cm);
- Find the height closest to your child's height from the height column;
- Check the reference weights for 'overweight' and 'underweight' across the same row;
- Compare your child's weight with the reference weights.
GIRLS | Body Weight (kg) Below the reference weight | Body Weight (kg) Above the reference weight |
---|---|---|
Child's Height (cm) | Underweight | Overweight |
75 | 7.3 | 11.0 |
77 | 7.7 | 11.6 |
79 | 8.1 | 12.2 |
81 | 8.5 | 12.7 |
83 | 8.9 | 13.3 |
85 | 9.2 | 13.9 |
87 | 9.6 | 14.4 |
89 | 10.0 | 15.0 |
91 | 10.3 | 15.5 |
93 | 10.7 | 16.0 |
95 | 11.0 | 16.5 |
97 | 11.4 | 17.1 |
99 | 11.8 | 17.6 |
101 | 12.1 | 18.2 |
103 | 12.5 | 18.8 |
105 | 12.9 | 19.4 |
107 | 13.3 | 20.0 |
109 | 13.8 | 20.7 |
111 | 14.2 | 21.3 |
113 | 14.7 | 22.1 |
115 | 15.3 | 22.9 |
117 | 15.8 | 23.7 |
119 | 16.4 | 24.7 |
121 | 17.1 | 25.7 |
123 | 17.8 | 26.7 |
125 | 18.6 | 27.9 |
127 | 19.4 | 29.1 |
129 | 20.2 | 30.4 |
131 | 21.2 | 31.7 |
Example:
- A girl measures 91cm in height and 13.5kg in weight.
- Find 91cm on the "Child's Height" column.
- Find the reference weights on the same row. For a girl of 91cm tall, having a body weight less than 10.3 kg is underweight, more than 15.5 kg is overweight.
- Since the girl weighs 13.5 kg, she is of normal weight.
Source of information: Leung SSF, Lau JTF, Tse LY, Oppenheimer SJ. Weight-for-age and weight-for-height reference for Hong Kong children from birth to 18 years. J Paediatr. Child Health 1996; 32.103-109
Underweight is defined as having a weight below 80% median weight for height, overweight is having a body weight above 120% median weight for height