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One part of being healthy is paying attention to your weight. It’s important to remember that this is not the only component of being healthy– talk to your parents, caregivers and medical professional before making any changes.

ASSESSING YOUR WEIGHT

If you are overweight or obese, you may have a higher risk for certain diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes; and being underweight can also put you at risk for health issues. There are a variety of ways to calculate whether or not your weight is healthy. Remember, that the number you may see on the scale does not accurately reflect your percentage of body fat, as it does not account for things like muscle mass. For an accurate measurement, you should see your doctor.

Being underweight, overweight or obese can put you at risk for some diseases. However, being underweight, overweight or obese is never a judgment on someone– everyone person is struggling with challenges that are unique to them and there are multiple factors that can contribute to significant changes to weight, such as:

  • Genetics
  • Stress
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Physical disease
  • Medication
  • Disordered Eating

GET HEALTHIER

Before anything else, you should speak to trusted adults who can assist you in your journey to become healthier, people like your parents or caregivers, medical professionals or mental health professionals should be consulted before you change anything up!

  • Make sure you are eating healthy foods- such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables, dairy and lean protein.
  • Be sure that you are eating enough at meals.
  • Snacks are important, try to eat when you are hungry.
  • Remember breakfast, be sure you aren’t skipping the first meal of the day.
  • Try to minimize the unhealthy stuff, things like saturated fats, processed foods or foods high in sugar and sodium won’t give you the nutrients that you need.
  • Surround yourself with a good support system of people who are healthy and will encourage you to be healthy.
  • Have reasonable goals about weight loss, don’t expect results overnight or make drastic changes to your diet/exercise program.
  • Educate yourself about healthy eating- watch portion sizes (don’t eat out of the container or bag).
  • Try not to eat mindlessly (in front of the TV or computer, or while on your phone).
  • Get moving, try being more active.