What is the average BMI for a teenager?

Question

Just wanting to no for my health and social coursework
Thanks x

Answer 1

It depends on how far into/away from puberty you are, for safty reasons it shouldnt be below 17.5 or above 25.

one reason this is so is to proect your heart- otherwise it gets too stressed and eventually can eventually get eaten by the body to keep it alive if you are too underweight, and if you are too overweight, you can risk putting too much stress on it by clogging up your system /arteries etc and not having the same stregnth to excercise your body and so excercise your heart.

It can also mess around with your metabolism if you BMI is too low/high as it will slow down because your body cannot copewith too much or not enough energy so it tries to conserve the energy it does have by slowing down your system or if you cant excercise and so have a sluggish metabolism.

All these rules change if you are "special" eg and athelete, or have a genetic disability/issue or if you have lost a/afew limbs..etc.

You do change alot as a teenager from one size to another, and so it is hard to offer a suggestion to what is the average BMI. If you suddenly start to put on weight but havent suddenly shot up in size, it could be your BMI is quite high as a result of sudden weight gain, but it could also be preparing your body to store lots of energy so it can HAVE that sudden growth spurt for example.

Also as a teenager you are just learning how to process your hunger and how to feed yourself accordingly- not like you did at 5 years old when you took pride in saying "NO" or eating everything but the table cloth, but as you will have a new body/be growing up/be doing different activities (eg no longer made to play rounders or chase) you will have to learn a whole new way of knowing how much/little to eat to keep yourself healthy.

If you are asking this to try to compare yourself with what you "should" be, please dont- you are going through a learning process! if you are really worried, visit your doctor, eating disorders of both people being under and over weight are on the rise, if you doctor is worth his/her salt, they will tell you if you are over/underweight and offer help and advice before things get too out of hand. I have had an eating disorder for almost 10 years, its hell, I wouldnt wish it on anyone, I wish I'd geone to my doctor earlier for help.!!

(if you are asking this for help for a science project, my initial paragraph will prob. do!)

Answer 2

18-24 BMI under 18 unhealthy as is over 24. Also go to a bmi calculator to figure this out. www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/

usually girls are done growing after 14, ask you mom and estimate if your done or not when she was done growing. Then you should know the BMI is that about of an adults

Answer 3

You are supposed to be around 20-22 I think. I think teenagers are getting bigger these days though so the average might be over that. Well everybody is getting bigger these days but it should be about 21.

Answer 4

It really depend on the age and height of the teenager... check out the site below

Answer 5

Correct BMI is detirmined by height and weight of a person and not thier age.
feel free to email me with the correct info and I will work it out for you.

Answer 6

Depends on height waist size, fat vs muscle...no one can tell you exactly what it should be any way...even with having that info

Answer 7

About 32, judging by the fat ollocks I see round my local shopping centre.

Answer 8

19 or 20, for a girl.

Answer 9

depends on weight and height

Answer 10

Doesn't it depend on your height?