Online Weight Loss For Teenagers

According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 18.1 percent of adolescents ages 12 to 19 are obese, and many more are overweight. With the number of hours teenagers spend online, the Internet is a natural place for teens to turn for help with weight loss. The challenge is sifting through the multitude of websites that offer weight loss advice to find the ones that are based on healthy and effective methods.

Determining a Need for Weight Loss

Body mass index (BMI) is a number calculated from your height and weight that is used to determine if you need to lose weight. To calculate your BMI, divide your weight in pounds by your height in inches squared and multiply by 703. For teenagers, this number is then compared to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's BMI-for-age growth charts, which take into account your age and gender, to determine your percentile ranking. If your weight falls between the 5th and 85th percentiles, it is considered healthy. If it falls between the 85th and 95th percentiles, you are overweight. If your weight is above the 95th percentile, you are considered obese. You can enter your height, weight, gender and age into a calculator on the CDC's Web site and it will calculate your BMI and percentile ranking for you. Determining if you need to lose weight is the first step.

Assessing Online Weight Loss Information

Online weight loss information comes in a variety of forms -- advice, product marketing, guides and programs. The information is not all proven to be effective or even healthy. According to the National Institutes of Health, the only long-term proven weight loss method is to burn more calories than you consume. Choosing online weight loss resources that follow this method is your best bet.

Suggestions

Visit reputable websites that are associated with the government or a medical foundation or hospital. For instance, KidsHealth.org offers free weight loss advice from medical professionals as well as an interactive guide you can customize to help you overcome your specific challenges in losing weight. MyPyramid.gov also offers personalized diet plans and physical activity and diet analyses to help you see how your current habits compare with the recommendations for your age and gender.

Precautions

Beware of websites promising drastic weight loss in a short amount of time. The National Institutes of Health recommends losing 1 to 2 lb. a week. Diets that promise more may not be sustainable for very long or healthy for your body. Diet plans that cut out an entire food group like fats or carbohydrates are also dangerous, according to KidsHealth.org, particularly when you're growing. Cutting back on a food group may be OK, but cutting it out entirely can deprive your body of essential nutrients.