Is my child overweight? 13.5yrs, 145lbs, 5"6in.?

Question

He has a sedentary life, goess to Macdonalds, watchees TV a lot. Last months he earned 20 pounds of his weight.

Answer 1

He's not overweight yet. But if he's sedentary, and only 13, it's an inevitability.

According to his BMI he is normal and very low risk:
http://www.preventdisease.com/healthtools/articles/bmi.html

According to Ideal Body Weight Calculators, he's exactly where he should be:
http://www.preventdisease.com/healthtools/articles/ideal_weight_man.html

Body Composition is a far better indicator of overall health, far superior to weight, BMI or any other measurements. Have his body composition measured every six months to ensure he is in a normal range for his age group. For the next 5 years, he should never exceed 20% body fat and preferably be in the 14%-18% range. Here's a calculator to help with this determination:
http://www.preventdisease.com/healthtools/articles/kidsbc.html
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Answer 2

Gaining 20 pounds in 1 month is not good for anyone and it is not normal. You really have to be eating a lot of unhealthy food and not moving at all. Right now he sounds like he is a little above what he should be but nothing crazy (yet). As you know the older we get the harder it is to lose weight and the habbits we form now will carry on in our lives. At 13 1/2 you as his parent are largely responsible for his health and education about health. If he doesn't have access to unlimmitted funds then he can not go to McDonalds all the time and if you limit his TV/Computer/Video game time then he can not be using them to be sedentary. You may want to set some ground rules about these few things as well as watch the types of foods you are buying at the store. You can not pack the kitchen with chips and soda then blame a kid for eating it. Another thing to remember is his emotional well being, if you make him feel like you are attacking him about his weight he will get a poor self image and he may over eat to comfort himself. Just make it a way of life for the whole family. If these things don't work see his pediatrician about a more structured plan. Childhood obesity is an epidemic in this country but we really can not blame our kids. We are the adults and should be responsible enough to teach and lead by example.

Answer 3

Hard to say, but since you said he has a sedentary life he/she could be. BMI works unless you are extremely muscular, I was about the same weight and height at that age but very fit from Rugby and football so I'd always comeback as obese so it's not 100%. You should be able to tell by looking at him/her, shouldn't you?

Here's a BMI Caculator for you:

http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/

But other fitness and % of body fat test are a better measure.

Good Luck - get him/her active, it's important, but you know that otherwise you wouldn't have asked ;)

Answer 4

although the height-weight ratio is not grossly out of line, if he's not exercising or eating right he is certainly unhealthy. Not everything at McDonald's is bad, but I doubt he's eating the salads. A 20 pound gain in one month is certainly not muscular body weight being added. He needs to exercise and eat right.

Answer 5

Yes. Avoid MacDonald's. Play outside with your child. Encourage running and competition. You don't necessarily want a thin child but you do want a healthy child.

Answer 6

Most likely no, but to make sure google a BMI calculator, its like a balance of how much you should weigh factored with you height/wieght. Is it a M or F, if its a female than yeah she is overweight.

Answer 7

A girl? if she is.... well... she is overweight by 15 lbs...
5 feet equals to 100 lbs... add 5 lbs for evry inch after 5 feet...
6 inches=30 lbs.
100lbs(5feet)+30lbs(6 inches)=130lbs(ideal weight)
hope it helps

Answer 8

he's not overweight...he has a body mass index of 23,6 which is within range but reaches the upper limit which is 24...so it can become overweight.

It shouldn't go often to McDonald's, you should prepare for him helathier meals and also urge him to start on a sport or outdoor activity

Answer 9

For his height and age it is alright. But he should not watch the TV for long and should not have snacks , chocolates. . Make him play games or swim. Avoid fatty fried food and tubers. The quantity should be less but should be nutrient.

Answer 10

Please see ideal body weight calculators below.

The following healthy living recommendations will help you if you’re trying to lose weight, tone up your muscles, have aspirations of building lean muscle mass, are attempting to get a wash board stomach, or just want to feel better:

*1) Burn more calories then you're consuming everyday and measure your results using the following formula: Calories Consumed minus Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) minus Physical Activity minus the Thermic Effect of Food (TEF). A website that explains this formula in more detail and will help you determine how many calories you need to reach or maintain a certain weight is at http://www.primusweb.com/fitnesspartner/library/weight/calsburned.htm

Get a diet and fitness calculator that you can put on your computer or cell phone. This will allow you to easily calculate the above formula, set goals, log your daily calorie consumption, and register your physical activities.

Set realistic goals for your ideal body weight. Here are two websites that will calculate a suggested body weight:
Adults: http://www.halls.md/ideal-weight/body.htm
Teens/Children: http://www.kidshealth.org/kid/exercise/weight/bmi.html

It is difficult and unhealthy to lose more than one or two pounds per week. There are 3,500 calories in a pound. If you eat 500 fewer calories per day for a week you will lose one pound. If you burn through exercise 500 more calories per day for a week you will lose one pound.

*2) Eat natural and organic foods found on earth versus something created by a corporation to make money. Eat meals in small portions throughout the day and take a good multi-vitamin supplement.

Avoid “High Glycemic Load Carbs” (sugar, pastries, desserts, refined starches such as breads, pasta, refined grains like white rice; high starch vegetables such as potatoes) and drink lots of water. Read this article for more information on high GL Carbs:
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/carbohydrates.html

Do not try fad diets or diet pills. Here is an excellent food pyramid that anyone can follow: http://www.rayandterry.com/html/images/PyramidLRG.gif?osCsid=26a424be471d1337e7c2f105d5c64d9d

*3) Exercise on most days by doing cardiovascular training and/or resistance training activities.

Read a book or find a certified trainer to make sure your doing all resistance training exercises correctly. A great book to buy that teaches you the resistance training basics is “Weight Training for Dummies”. A superb magazine to buy with resistance training routines that will not get you bored is "Muscle and Fitness". Signup for the free newsletter. An excellent free online resource is at http://www.exrx.net/

A good book to buy that teaches you the cardiovascular training basics is “Fitness for Dummies”.

*4) Get plenty of sleep. Sleep experts say most adults need between seven and nine hours of sleep each night for optimum performance, health, and safety.

*5) Educate yourself continually on health issues and make a life long commitment to good health. A great free publication is “Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005”. A superb book to read is “You The Owner’s Manual”. An excellent periodic publication is the “Nutrition Action Health Letter”. A reputable test you can take to measure your biological age is at http://realage.com

Look at all areas where you can enhance your health. For example, make improvements in the quality of the air you breathe. Review outdoor air quality forecasts where you live and get an indoor air purifier. Send me an email or yahoo instant message to "gainbetterhealth" if you want an indoor air purifier recommendation and if you have any questions.

*Click on all the source links below to get the full benefit of the recommendations. The answers presented to your health questions are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.