Average Height and Weight for Teenager

What is an Average Height and Weight for Teenager?

Ultimately a healthy weight to height ratio depends on many factors. It is not as simple as following into the appropriate range in the chart below. What is an appropriate weight will be based on your age, height, build, and percentage of body fat. A highly physical teen boy with great muscle tone could easily look overweight based on the standard average height and weight chart. This is due largely to the fact that muscle cells weigh more than fat cells.

Due to this, a more common measure of average healthy bodies is based on a formula known as the Body Mass Index or BMI. This index is a number calculated from your weight and height – weight divided by your height squared. For an easy to use BMI calculator and evaluation, visit the CDC’s website.

Another important consideration is growth rate. This is unique to children and teens, as their BMI, average height and weight will flux as bodies are developing. One of the many reasons adult averages should never be used to evaluate teenagers. Ultimately, the best evaluation is the one performed by a pediatrician. At each physical exam, height and weight should be measured, tracking progress on an individualized chart. This general health screen is recommended every two years for teenagers, aged 11 to 24 years.

Average Height and Weight for Teenagers Charts

Typical Teen Bodies

While the above charts highlight the average height and weight for teenagers, there is much more to this story. Pediatricians have graphs with heights, weights and BMIs for each age and percentile. If you or your teenager is way off this chart, a visit to your doctor is the next step. Pediatricians see lots of teen bodies, and therefore have a much healthier appreciation for what “normal” is.

Teens bodies are dramatically affected by puberty. Naturally, hormones will begin to transition the body’s structure. So, even while normal growth happens, a teen’s body will begin to look different. These changes may worry a teen, as they lose their straight and narrow childlike bodies. Girls are worried about the curves and guys worry about looking sturdy and masculine. Often, actual height and weight really makes little difference.

All teenagers also go through a period, lasting about two years, of rapid height growth. Before this occurs, the body may appear heavier. After the growth spurt, the body begins to elongate, even appearing too thin. For girls, this time of growth usually occurs in the preteens around 10 to 14 years. For boys it is later, usually around 12 to 16 years old. Also during this time, a girl’s body fat percentage will naturally increase and a boy’s will decrease. Genetics play a large role in how this all pans out.

Dealing with Weight Concerns

Whether your fears stem from being over or under weight, in most cases the situation is easy to fix with proper eating habits and nutrition. A balanced diet is more important then watching calories, especially when you are young and growing up. If your eating habits are healthy and you maintain adequate exercise, your weight will stay in the appropriate range for your height.

Developing good eating habits doesn’t have to be complicated. By eating a variety of healthy meals and keeping higher fat foods to an occasional treat, along with regular activity, feeling good and looking healthy will come naturally.

Editors Note

The writer of this article and the advice columnist do not have medical backgrounds and therefore cannot give you advice on whether or not you should diet. If you have concerns about your current height or weight, please address this with your primary care physician. A doctor can address all of your concerns based on your medical history, age, current height and weight.

The information contained in this article is based on current averages for girls and boys in a particular age range. Individuals may weigh either more or less than what is listed in the above charts.