Body Mass Index, or BMI, is a calculation used by medical practitioners to determine whether a person is within a healthy weight range. However, the results and determining factors are not so clear-cut for teenagers, as they are still growing constantly and at different rates. For this reason, BMI and ideal weight ranges are utilized differently than for average adults.
Weight Assessment
A normal weight is one of the determining factors of overall teen health, and can also contribute to body issues. Teenagers often compare themselves to their peers in determining appropriate weight. One teen may weigh a great deal more than another and still be considered a healthy weight. However, weight in teenagers fluctuates constantly. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), weight ranges vary in teenagers within every month during every year of development based on gender and height.
Growth Rate
Heredity influences a teenager's growth rate in height and in weight. This is why some teenagers may gain a lot of weight at one time and then naturally grow in height after. Also, some teens may reach full height at the beginning of puberty, while some tap out at early adulthood. Given the varying heights of teenagers, the amount they weigh will vary as well.
BMI
BMI is based on a person's weight in correlation to height. To determine BMI, multiply your weight by 703 and then multiply your height in inches twice. Divide these numbers together. For adults, the resulting number is indicative of whether they are within a healthy weight range or not. For teenagers, however, the BMI is plotted on a chart. Such a growth chart takes into consideration the different growth stages for each gender and all ages, since not all teenagers grow at the same rate. According to the CDC, a BMI that falls between fifth and eighty-fifth percentiles is considered within normal weight range. A BMI between the eighty-fifth and ninety-fifth percentiles is overweight, and a BMI that exceeds the ninety-fifth percentile is obese. A BMI which falls on the chart below fifth percentile is considered underweight.
Considerations
The age and sex of a teenager are two factors which help determine BMI on a growth rate chart. However, other factors, such as muscle growth, are often not reflected in BMI or a growth rate chart. The CDC states that other fat measurement tests, such as underwater weighing, more closely reflect whether a high BMI is related to high levels of body fat. Also, excess pounds or a lack there of may be attributed to a health issue which requires the attention of a doctor.
Prevention/Solution
Obesity is an ever-growing problem among children in the United States. The Mayo Clinic suggests that parents encourage healthy habits in order to help prevent teenagers from becoming overweight. Such habits include regular exercise, eating healthy and at regular intervals, and adequate sleep. Teenagers will not easily adopt healthy habits unless they are utilized by the entire family and that a positive tone is set throughout. Healthy eating habits should also be encouraged for teens whose BMI falls under the fifth percentile on the growth chart.
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