If a 12-year-old girl weighs 120 lbs and is 4' 11 is she overweight?

Answer 1

Not according to a standard BMI (Body Mass Index) calculator. Body Mass Index is a good estimate of your body fat based on your height and weight. If you plug those numbers into a BMI calculator like the one at http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/ your BMI is 24.2, putting you in the normal weight category of 18.5-24.9.

But BMI is just an approximation. Many other factors impact whether a person should be considered "overweight." For example, muscular people weigh more, but aren't necessarily overweight, because muscle weighs more than fat. The best way to truly determine if your weight is healthy is to ask your doctor.

However, because you're 12, you shouldn't be focusing on your weight, since your body is still growing. It's more important that you eat good foods and exercise so that you will grow up to be healthy. Everyone, whether they're overweight or not, would benefit by improving their eating and exercise habits. For help with how you can do this, ask your doctor, parents, or health/phys ed teachers.