HomeAnswersPediatricschildhood obesityWhat does 95th percentile mean for a 9-year-old boy?

My son's BMI shows that he is obese in 95th percentile. How can I help him?

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The following is an actual conversation between an iCliniq user and a doctor that has been reviewed and published as a Premium Q&A.

Medically reviewed by

Dr. Vinodhini J.

Published At January 31, 2020
Reviewed AtSeptember 20, 2023

Patient's Query

Hello doctor,

My son is 9 years old. He is 4 feet and 11 inches and weighs about 107 lbs. I checked his BMI, it said he was obese in the 95th percentile. He is active. Should I worry about his weight? And if so, how can I help him with it?

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

Your son has good height and for the same reason, his weight is not worrisome. But definitely he is on 95th centile for his height as well as for his age. Also, his BMI (body mass index) is 22.4 which puts him in the category of obese.

Let him have a lot of outdoor activity, avoid sitting for a long time in front of the computer or television, and avoid junk foods. Swimming is the best activity for this age and swimming for at least 30 to 45 minutes daily or at least five days a week will help him. Let him have a good balanced home food with less fat.

Child obesity at this age has higher chances for him to be obese as an adult with all its other consequences. So it is better to have some precautions but no need for a dieting regime at this age as he is a growing boy and needs more calories from proteins for his overall growth.

I hope this helps.

Same symptoms don't mean you have the same problem. Consult a doctor now!

Dr. Prakash Chandra Girdhar Lal Nagar
Dr. Prakash Chandra Girdhar Lal Nagar

Child Health

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