Males come in different shapes and sizes and they grow at different paces. You may notice that your stocky son towers above a skinny friend, or maybe he's the skinniest boy in his class. Since you can't change your son's genetic makeup, he probably is at his ideal body weight if he is eating nutritious food and getting enough physical activity on a daily basis.
Body Mass Index
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, calculating Body Mass Index (BMI) is a popular indirect method of measuring a person's body fat by inserting his weight and height into a formula. Although adults are instantly placed into categories such as underweight and obese based upon the outcome of weight and height calculations, a child or teen's BMI is specific to his age and sex. A 10-year-old male's initial BMI number would be contrasted with BMIs of all other 10-year-old males and he would be given a percentile. If he was under the 5th percentile he would be considered underweight, if he was at the 5th and under the 85th percentile he would be considered a healthy weight, if he was at the 85th but under the 95th percentile he would be considered overweight, and if he was at or above the 95th percentile he would be considered obese.
Overweight and Obesity
Although the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend using BMI to screen for overweight and obesity in children and teens between ages 2 and 19, it isn't a diagnostic tool. Other factors contribute to a child's overall health and not all children in low or high BMI percentiles are unhealthy. A muscular teen boy, for example, may be considered overweight but a skinfold thickness exam may determine that he is in prime shape. Physical activity, nutrition and overall health are important to consider.
Healthy Growth
Due to factors such as genes, a boy may consistently be in a high or low percentile and remain healthy. The Nemours Foundation says the most important factor to consider in assessing a child's health is whether he continues to grow at a steady pace, maintaining a similar height and weight proportion. Huge dips or increases may signal a problem.
Male Growth Spurt
Males naturally go through dramatic physical changes when they hit puberty sometime between the ages of 10 and 15, according to The Nemours Foundation. The average span of puberty lasts between two and five years, and marks a time when a male transitions from childhood to adulthood. During this time, he will develop sexually, notice the growth of pubic and underarm hair, and have broadened shoulders and increased muscle mass.
Encouraging Health
To ensure that your son is at his ideal weight, observe his sleeping, eating and exercising patterns. Most kids should get between 10 and 12 hours of sleep each night in order to grow healthily, eat a balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables and get daily exercise through fun activities such as biking and organized sports.
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