Is My Teen Obese??

Question

m'kay he is a 5'10, 17 yr. old male. i'll admit he used to be fit yet over the summer he slacked off & wit the help of his diet of sweets, binges, lack of exercise, occasional gluttony etc. etc. he put on around 55lbs. -sighs-

he now weighs around 217+ lbs. (he went from the 55th to the 96th percentile for his weight!) & if he keeps gaining like he has i dunno what to do. the only weird thing is 31in. jeans used to fall off of him. now i bought him a 36 or 38 in. belt & it wont even fit around him completely! he also pronounced lovehandles, back rolls, has stretch marks on his upper thighs & side of his bulging belly (that is starting to hang) he almost have moobs & i can go on & on.

so in your opinion is he fat, just right or underweight?

he's currently @ a boarding school & i'm worried to death he'll come home bigger than ever!! what should i do??

Answer 1

If you are 5 feet, add 115
& for every inch add 5 pounds,so for a 5'10 male it will be 115+50=165,,,thats the "average" you should weight.
p.s. this only works for males not females

Answer 2

Edit: I just noticed you've asked this question before but saying that YOU were the teen. If you are the teen you can still take this advice and do it for yourself...
I dont feel like retyping it so i'm just going to leave it as if I'm talking to the parent ok?

I dont think he's obese, but he's definitely overweight.

As someone who had a weight problem as a teen, I can tell you that you have to be very delicate with how you handle the situation. You don't want to make him feel belittled because of his weight problem and you don't want to destroy his self esteem.

Most of the time when people overeat there is an underlying emotional issue that they are using food to fill. The challenge for you is not going to be getting healthier food into his life, the challenge is going ot be getting him the help he needs to overcome the food binges.

The first thing you can do in preparation for his homecoming is to stock the house with healthy foods that the whole family can enjoy. Make meals that are lower in fat and calories but still tasty and satisfying. Keep healthy snacks plentiful - carrot sticks, grapes, yogurt etc.
Don't make sweets an option. Don't keep them in the house.
It's not really depriving anyone else by doing this, everyone in the household can benefit from healthier eating, even if no one else has a weight problem.

In the mean time, try your best to observe. When does he binge? Late at night? After an argument? Pay attention to your conversations with him. Is there something you are saying to him that triggers the binge? Something someone else is saying to him to trigger it?

If you catch him in a binge, instead of scolding him, sit down with him and say "hey, you look like you've got something on your mind, wanna talk about it?"

There's no guarantee that any of that will work but it's certainly a place to start.

Hopefully he is getting at least some exercise at school, even if it's just walking across the campus to classes. With exercise, leading by example is probably your best course of action. Go for walks after dinner and invite him along. Make them leisurely and enjoyable so that it doesnt feel like exercise.

good luck!

Answer 3

You need to talk to the boarding school and see if they can get him on an exercise routine. Like can he take an extra gym class 2-3 times per week? Do they allow snack foods to be bought in vending machines, if so maybe you should advocate to have those taken out.

Your son is overweight, but I wouldn't say he's obese yet. But if he continues on the path that he's on, he will become obese. It will be a ton easier for him to lose weight now, than in a few years.

Also you might want to have him checked for thyroid problems as well as diabetes because both can make you gain weight because of the way they affect your metabolism.

Good luck!

Answer 4

How long did it take him to put on 55lbs? Quick weight gain will cause stretch marks. 220lbs is too much to weigh if you are only 5'10'' Have him try the South Beach Diet. It works well for people who are addicted to carbohydrates. That may have caused your son's weight gain. Carbs are addicting!

Answer 5

Love handles and stretch marks don't come from being the right weight! He may be loosing now that he is back in school, if not you should talk to him about it before he really gets big! Male boo bs aren't cool!

Answer 6

You've got some serous problems, kid, judging from your other questions. You seem obsessed with weight, and that's not healthy. You could be lying, and you probably are, but since all of your questions are pretty much the same (with a few other lies thrown in there) it's obvious that you've got some wierd preoccupation with weight. See your doctor.

Answer 7

hmm...your son sounds depressed if he has had such a rapid weight gain...he is overweight although the football coach may want to use him as a secret weapon on the field...lol...try getting him on a diet of healthier foods and buy him a membership to the gym...exercise is a good way to feel good, and when he sees the results..he'll feel even better.

Answer 8

Did he seemed depressed over the summer? Sometimes when people are depressed they will eat more and gain a lot of weight like that. See if you can find out what may be bothering him. Also, if he got involved with drugs it can cause weight gain too.

Answer 9

My son is 5'10 and 175. When he was 190 he had the start of love handles. So I would say that your son is overweight. See if you can interest him in some kind of sports or exerciser. If he is at boarding school, that it up with whoever is in charge. He needs to start taking care of himself.

Answer 10

You're son is overweight. For his height, he should only weigh around 170-190lbs. You need to introduce him to eating healthier and do activities that would make him sweat to lose weight.