Healthy Ways Of Losing And Gaining Weight / Question
Published: February 9, 2009
Dear TeenHealthFX,
IM a teenager and weigh 180 and have a BMI of 29.1 im really concerned about my weight because kids at school laugh at me.I always try my best to eat healthy but sometimes i get really mad that children are laughing at me so i starve myself. What do you think i should do when it comes to jokes? Should i starve myself? Should i exercise 10 hours a day because i want to loss 28 pounds by next year?
Signed: Weight 180 And Have A BMI of 29.1
Dear Weight 180 And Have A BMI of 29.1,
Calculating your body mass index (BMI) is a useful way to determine if you are currently in a healthy weight range. For our readers who may not know, BMI is a calculation that uses height and weight to estimate how much body fat someone has. It is used to determine how appropriate a person’s weight is for their height, gender, and age.
A BMI of 29.1 indicates that you are overweight and at risk for obesity. A person is considered to be “overweight” with a BMI between 25 and 29, and “obese” with a BMI of 30 or higher. As weight increases for a person to reach the levels referred to as “overweight” and “obese,” the risk increases for various conditions such as heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and respiratory problems. So it is important for a person’s physical well-being that they stay in healthy weight range. In addition, as you are experiencing, being overweight can take an emotional toll as well. It is extremely unfortunate that children and teens can be so cruel about another person’s weight – but it does happen and may be another incentive for you to lose weight.
Given your BMI, TeenHealthFX recommends that you meet with your primary care physician to discuss this issue, and that you, your parents, and your doctor come up with a plan to help you attain a healthier weight. You might consider some of the following when working to maintain a healthier weight:
- Do NOT skip meals or starve yourself. Eat three meals a day and one or two healthy snacks. Make sure that your snacks and meals are in reasonable portions. Starving yourself actually slows down the metabolism – so this tactic will not help you, but will only make it harder for you to lose weight.
- Go through your kitchen and get rid of the unhealthy foods and snacks – foods that are high in sugar, high in saturated fat, or that have lots of preservatives and additives. Replace these foods with healthier choices like fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and whole grain products. That way you can better ensure that your meals and snacks will consist of healthier foods.
- Exercise at least three times a week for about 45 minutes to an hour. You could go for walks, swim, or biking, for example. Do not over-exercise, as this is not necessary to obtain your goal and is actually a problem in and of itself.
- Try to cut down on television, computer, and video game time and replace these activities with things that will keep you up and moving more. Research has shown that people who have more “couch potato” time are much more likely to be overweight than people who are generally more active and on the go.
As for dealing with the cruel comments by peers, try to keep a few things in mind:
- Use their comments to empower you to lose weight rather than letting them beat you down. When you feel angry about what they are saying, put that anger into exercising or making sure to have a healthy meal. When they make their nasty comments, think “I’ll show you” and then prove them wrong by eating well, exercising and getting into better shape.
- If these comments happen often at school, speak to your teacher, guidance counselor or principal about what you are experiencing. School should feel like a safe place for you, and if your peers are being verbally abusive to you, adults may need to step in and deal with the situation.
- Think about any peers you could talk to about this. If you explained to someone how these comments affected you, you could work towards getting someone in your corner to stand up for you when others are being cruel.
- This is a hard one, but try not to get too angry or sad in reaction to their comments. Children and teens are often motivated to tease by the reaction they get when they are verbally cruel. If they get no reaction, it becomes less interesting and they tend to back off with time.
- Talk to your parents, teacher, school counselor or any other trusted adult about other ways in which you can respond to the teasing.
FX would like to reiterate that you should meet with your primary care physician for a full medical exam and to discuss your weight, as well as to get further guidance in meal-planning and exercises that are most appropriate for you. FX also thinks that it will be very important for your family to make these changes with you. You will have a much better chance at being successful with this if you have your family members as partners with you as you work towards a healthier you. FX thinks that you should feel very proud of yourself for reaching out for information about your weight and overall health. And know that when your peers are being cruel, they are the ones with problem, not you. Your worth is defined by how you see yourself, not the labels others put on you. So know that you are a strong person, capable of wonderful things – and use those strengths to help you achieve your goal. We know you can!
If you don't have a doctor and live in northern
Signed: TeenHealthFX
At all levels of blood alcohol concentration (BAC), the risk of involvement in a motor vehicle crash is greater for teens than for older drivers.
