Weight (body mass) relative to height used to assess the extent of weight excess in children and adolescents.
Context:
Public health and health care:
Body Mass Index (BMI) is used as an indicator of underweight, normal or healthy weight and overweight and obesity in adults and overweight and obesity in children and adolescents. In population based surveys, BMI may be used:
to indicate the prevalence of thinness and overweight and their sociodemographic distribution (problem identification)
to evaluate health promotion and disease prevention programs (assessment of interventions)
to monitor progress towards National public health policy
to ascertain determinants and consequences of thinness and overweight
in nutrition and physical activity surveillance and long-term planning.
A measure of body fat that gives an indication of nutritional status. Body mass index is the weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters.
