The old classic: am I too fat??? Should I be panicking? Will I be dead by the time I'm 20??

Question

I'm a 14-year-old girl I'm about four feet and seven inches tall, and I weigh 135 pounds. How worried should I be?

I don't pig out-I eat sensibly and do regular excersise (i.e., I walk to school every day and do figure skating once a week), but I'm not one to go on those crazy only-drink-water diets.

I do have a naturally curvy figure too-it runs in my family. I am also kind of stocky.

So, am I fat? If so, how fat???

And by the way, I've finished puberty-I was freakishly young (maybe about 7-8) when I started, so it's safe to say I've finished puberty.

Answer 1

Hey sweetie,
Unfortunately, I have some bad news for you.
If you go to google, and just type in body mass index, a bunch of websites will pop up which can help you figure out whether you need to change something in your diet/lifestyle etc.
Sample website: http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/
According to your weight and height, your body mass index is 31.4.
Underweight = <18.5
Normal weight = 18.5-24.9
Overweight = 25-29.9
Obesity = BMI of 30 or greater
According to this, 30.0 or greater indicates obesity.
I don't think you'll be dead by the time you're 20, but you do need to makes some lifestyle changes, and it's good that you realized this early on, so now you can lead a healthier lifestyle, and have a longer life.
It would be a good to eat all your meals in moderation, and pay very close attention to what you eat as well! You should be having 5 small portioned meals a day, and these should include things like fruits and veggies, etc. Try to cut down on things like red meat etc for a while, and then introduce it slowly on an occasional basis. I think it's great that you figure skate and walk to school, but you need more than that. Have you considered joining sports teams? Or even taking gym would be good. You could try going for a little jog once in a while as well.
Some of your weight probably does come from left-over baby fat, considering you are only 14, but considering overall, i do think you need to make some changes. You don't need to starve yourself, just eat healthier, and at the right times. For example, make sure your heaviest meal of the day is breakfast, and the lightest is dinner, and don't eat dinner too late either, it needs time to digest!
http://www.halls.md/body-mass-index/bmi.htm
This is another website you should check out, and if you go to the bottom, you'll see an ideal weight calculator, see if that helps as well. Good luck, and message me if you need any help! :)

Answer 2

5'7 and 135 lbs is certainly not heavy for your size. how "fat" you are depends on your current body fat percentage. if your current body fat is at an average level or below then you have no concerns.

don't focus on the total bodyweight, but the composition of that weight. how much muscle and how much fat you have is what's important