Ideal Body Weight for a Teenager

Weight and body image can be a delicate topic for teenagers. Teenage girls are often concerned with being too fat, while teenage boys are often wondering if they're big or strong enough. When it comes to the ideal body weight of a teenager, there is no specific number. The number will change per person depending on certain factors.

• Teens struggle to stay thin.

Speculations

• For the past few years, television and magazines have set the standards for acceptable body weight. Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine suggests that more teenagers are weight-cautious due to images reflected by the media. With more teenagers dwelling on their weight, the number of eating disorders and teenagers suffering from poor nutritional habits is growing.

Misconceptions

• It is a common misconception that there is an "ideal" weight for the general teenager. Doctors can give you a specific "healthy" weight range for someone your age, height and gender. However, the word "ideal" is not a suitable term.

Expert Insight

• According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, healthy weight ranges cannot be provided for children and teens because weight ranges change with each month of age and for each sex. Also, weight ranges change as height increases. Doctors use a formula to calculate BMI (body mass index) to determine your healthy weight. If you are overweight, you will have a higher BMI. A high BMI means a higher percentage of body fat. If your BMI is too low, you may be underweight. The BMI for a teenager and an adult is calculated the same; however, the criteria for interpreting the teen chart are slightly different. For teenagers, age and sex specifics are used to determine ideal weight. By calculating your BMI, you will be able to tell if you are at a healthy weight for your age.

Examples

• Take a look at a few examples of healthy weight ranges for teenagers. Remember, your specific weight range will have to be determined by your actual height. This is a general estimate and should not be used to determine whether or not you are overweight or underweight.

  Girls
  Age 12-13 95-105 lbs.
  Age 14-15 105-115 lbs.
  Age 16-17 115-120 lbs.
  Age 18-20 125-130 lbs.

  Boys
  Age 12-13 85-100 lbs.
  Age 14-15 105-125 lbs.
  Age 16-17 130-150 lbs.
  Age 18-20 150-160 lbs.

Tips

• Being aware of your healthy weight will help protect you from the health risks associated with being overweight or underweight. If you suspect that there may be a problem, take the proper precautions to improve the situation before it becomes a serious health issue. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention along with the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend the use of BMI calculators to screen for teenage weight problems, but the tool is not to be used for diagnoses. Instead, if you are suffering from a weight problem, it is best to consult a physician. A health care professional will need to perform assessments and evaluate diet, family history, physical activity and conduct other weight-related screenings.