What's the Right Weight for Me?

:kidshealth.org

2012/03/12

941

TV shows, movies, and magazines show pictures of people who are thin. Does that mean being thin is best? Not necessarily.

People come in all different shapes and sizes, and the best weight for you is one that is right for your individual body type and size. It can be unhealthy to be too thin if you are eating less food than your body needs. Eating enough food is like putting gas in your car — if you run out of gas, it stops working!

Being overweight is not good either. Kids who are overweight may not be getting the right nutrition if the food they eat has a lot of fat and calories without the other nutrients needed to stay healthy and strong.

Everyone needs to eat a healthy, balanced diet to grow, to fight off infections, to do well in school and at play, and to just feel good. Eating a variety of healthy foods, including fruits and vegetables, is the best way to go. It puts high-quality fuel in your tank so you are ready to go.

So read on to find out how you'll know what the right weight is for you.

What Makes Me the Weight I Am?

There's no easy answer to this question. Your genetic makeup (the physical traits that get passed down to you from your parents) plays a big part in determining your size and weight.

The same goes for your body type. Have you ever heard someone say a person is "big boned"? It's a way of saying the person has a large frame, or skeleton. Big bones usually weigh more than small bones. That's why it's possible for two kids with the same height, but different weights, to both be the right weight.