Mum slams schools' BMI calculations
[After seeing my BMI] I had a very big problem, which actually robbed me of my childhood
A mum who became anorexic at the age of 14 after her school said her BMI was too high is calling for changes after she received a letter saying her four-year-old son is overweight.
Emily McKenzie, 37, from Bath, said her confidence was hit as teenager and she started to shed the pounds by starving herself, resulting in a 15-year long battle with an eating disorder. At the age of 16 she weighed just 3st 10lb.
The mum decided enough was enough after being told her little boy Jack was in the 96th centile, which means he is heavier than 96 per cent of children his age. A BMI above the 91st centile suggests a person is overweight.
How BMI is calculated
A BMI reading for adults can be worked out by dividing weight in kilograms by height in metres. The answer is then divided by the person's height.
For children however, the second calculation is not carried out and instead the answer is compared with those of other youngsters of the same age and sex to calculate a 'centile' - or position relative to others on a scale of one to 100.
Between 91 and 97 is classed as overweight, while any child who scores 98 and above is clinically obese.