BMI remains stable through childhood

Children's body mass index (BMI) tends to remain highly stable between kindergarten and 8th grade, according to a study led by Solveig Cunningham and Sandra Jackson, researchers in the Hubert Department of Global Health. Analyzing data from the Kindergarten Cohort of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study of U.S. children, they found behavioral factors such as eating habits, sedentary habits, and physical activities had little effect on changes in children's weight over time. The more striking finding was the effect of weight on behaviors. When children became heavier, they started to watch more television and be less active, indicating that being overweight may negatively affect children's behavior.

Given the stability of children's weight status in elementary and middle school, researchers recommend that future interventions target younger children under the age of five.

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