The new charts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention more accurately reflect the average height and weight of U.S. children from birth to age 3, because they are based on more recent and much more comprehensive data than the old charts for babies and toddlers. This survey showed that in the past two decades the number of overweight children and adolescents has doubled. From that moment on, growth charts are a reference point for health professionals and parents as their children grow into adolescents and adulthood. When used properly, the new charts explain patterns of adequate or inadequate growth, identify goals for change, and evaluate and reinforce changes in growth over time. The new BMI charts, which begin at age two, are a more accurate tool for measuring obesity than older charts that included a measurement of weight according to height, officials said.
Obesity is a growing national health problem among both adults and children.
Nearly one in five American adults are obese and the number of obese children has doubled in the past 20 years to about 4.5 million kids, or 11 percent of youngsters ages 6 to 17, according to the latest government studies. Health professionals believe that catching the problem is important in preventing children from going on to have weight problems or becoming obese later in life. The old charts were based on a private study during the 1960s and 1970s that looked only at white, formula-fed children in Ohio. The Associated Press contributed to this report. ABC News Internet Ventures.