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Navigate: FAQ Home Page > General Health Questions > Am I a healthy size?
Posted on: 05/24/2007
Question
hello. if i'm a teen that is 16, 5 foot 4, and 125 pounds, is it healthy?
Answer
What a great question--but I can't answer it.
Being healthy is a lot more complicated than how much a person weighs. Being healthy is about lifestyle, weight, and attitude. To be healthy, I recommend regular exercise 3 to 5 times a week for at least 30 minutes. Pretty much any exercise that increases your heart rate to at least 120 or 130 will do. Then you need to have a well-balanced diet, free of junk food and soda. Plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, and preferably at least two servings of fish a week. Try to find foods with a low "glycemic index" for your carbohydrates (go ahead and Google it). Attitude drives it all--approach life with a positive can-do attitude and you'll be set!
Now, when we look at weight to height ratios you are fine. There are separate calculations for people under 21 and people over 21, so be careful which chart you use. You can go to the government's CDC website and search for "body-mass index" to find the charts. Remember these are just numbers and don't take into account a persons individual body characteristics (bone size, breast size, etc.). We recommend most people try to keep their BMI under 25. If your BMI is over 25, talk to your doctor or nutritionist to find a safe and healthy way to get your weight down.