If you're an adolescent wondering whether your weight is a good match for your height, the body mass index scale for teens gives you an easy, reliable way to evaluate your current numbers. BMI can be quickly calculated by dividing your weight into the square of your height. A healthy BMI rests between 18 and 30.
Age Factor
For adults, the BMI ends with entering height and weight into the formula. With teens, however, the BMI is evaluated differently. Adult bodies are already stable, but teenage bodies are still growing. The amount of body fat changes periodically, while girls and boys differ markedly in their body fat levels. A special BMI scale for teens, called BMI-for-age, is used to assess your BMI numbers. If you normally measure your height in inches and weight in pounds, you can get your BMI by multiplying your height by itself, dividing by your weight in pounds and multiplying the result by 703. The metric BMI formula calls for dividing your weight in kilograms by the square of your height in meters.
Comparisons to Other Teens
Your age-specific BMI compares your height and weight with those of your peers by percentile. Percentiles serve to divide the various categories. If your age and BMI fall below the 5th percentile, you are considered underweight. If your age and BMI lands above the 95th percentile, you rank as obese. The broad area between the 5th and 85th percentiles indicates normal weight, while that between the 85th and 95th percentiles delineates those overweight.
BMI Just Part of Picture
By itself, the BMI cannot be used as basis for diagnosis. It is just a screening tool. For an accurate determination if you have excess fat, you need a physician to assess your BMI along with other factors such as family history, dietary habits and physical activity. If you have a weight problem, you may want to consult a health-care professional for advice in choosing a weight-adjustment program that helps you avoid scams and diet dangers.
Healthy Weight Loss or Gain
Prepare for your appointment with your health-care provider by reading up on available weight-adjustment programs and writing down your questions and concerns. Remember that a good program includes several factors: an eating plan that reduces or increases calorie consumption without excluding specific foods or food groups, exercise suited to your condition and behavioral changes that align with your culture or belief system. Your plan should also include steady weight loss or gain of no more than 2 lbs. per week and a plan that will help you maintain a healthy weight.
References
- "Weighing in: Nutrition and Weight Management"; Lesli J. Favor; 2008
- "Food and Nutrition"; Rachel Laudan and Marshall Cavendish; 2009
- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- TeensHealth: What's the Right Weight for My Height
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