Our program
Early identification of pediatric overweight in primary care
A preventive strategy for children ages 6–11 that aims to support families early — before an overweight trend progresses.
- Step 1
Growth monitoring
Height and weight are tracked at routine visits and plotted as BMI-for-age percentiles.
- Step 2
Early alert (concept)
An electronic health record alert could flag early changes, so care teams notice sooner.
- Step 3
Provider conversation
The care team reviews the whole child — not just a number — with the family.
- Step 4
Family-centered support
Practical guidance on food, activity, sleep, and routines, plus local resources.
The EHR/EMR alert is a program concept. Early Healthy Habits does not currently operate an EHR integration.
Understanding BMI-for-age
For children and teens ages 2–19, BMI is compared with other children of the same age and sex using growth charts.
BMI-for-age is a screening measure, not a standalone diagnosis. A healthcare professional considers growth patterns, family history, and overall health.
- Healthy weight
- 5th to below the 85th percentile
- Overweight
- At or above the 85th and below the 95th percentile
- Obesity
- At or above the 95th percentile