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 Ask Dr. Jana
Concerned about Preteen's Weight | | | QUESTION | | | Dear Dr. Jana,
My child is 5'4" and 12 years old. She weighs 132 lbs. Is that healthy? She plays soccer and softball, bikes, swims, and enjoys many other sports.— Megz | | | ANSWER |
October 5, 2001 | | | Dear Megz,
While there is obviously more to determining if a child is healthy than simply her weight and height, I can tell you that your question is a common one, and it highlights the need to consider both weight and height. Your daughter's weight puts her around the 95th percentile for girls her age, and her height also falls right around the same percentile. This suggests to me that she is well proportioned, and that you shouldn't make the mistake that many parents (and children) make and focus just on the weight. The fact that your daughter is active in many sports (and hopefully eats a well-balanced diet) suggests to me that she is leading a healthy lifestyle as well.
You may be interested in looking in our existing section on growth and growth charts, and we will soon be adding several new articles on pre-teen and teen nutrition and sports.
That said, I still feel very strongly that it is important for children to be seen and evaluated each year by a pediatrician or other provider in order to adequately assess and provide assurance that a child is growing and developing well.— by Laura Jana, M.D., F.A.A.P. |
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