Fluctuating Teen BMI

(Note: I have reposted this from the Young Weight Watchers forum as it garnered little attention over a while. I realize that an immediate response is not expected, but the subject pertains to this forum and I have noticed it is a bit more active). 

Hello,

I have recently plugged my height and weight into a BMI calculator suited for teenagers, mostly out of boredom, and have found myself to be rather underweight, in the 9th percentile. I am fifteen years old, male, about 117 lbs and 5'9" tall.

I don't have any eating disorder; however, I do walk quite a bit and I eat healthy. During a lot of the Summer, my general day would go as follows:

Breakfast - A cup of oatmeal (1/2 cup plain oats, 1/2 cup flavored, high fiber for flavor)

After-breakfast Snack - Fiber One Bar or other similar bar

Before Lunch Snack - 1 Apple

Lunch - Ham & Cheese on whole grain bread or a bagel with light cream cheese.

Dinner - whatever my family prepares. Often times, I'll eat some form of meat (chicken or pork most often) or whole grain spaghetti.

After dinner I'll often have a yogurt and then eat varying junk or other food before bed. Sometimes carrots, often pretzels/sesame sticks, sometimes even ice cream.

Anyway, useless daily diet information aside, I obviously want to be at a "healthy" BMI and do not want to be starving my body of the calories it needs to grow. That being said, is it normal for some teens to experience natural dips in their BMI as low as the 17s?

If I need to actively work to gain weight, how should I go about it? Should I look at high-cal but healthy foods like nuts, or can I have a field day and chow down on gallons of ice cream? More specifically, do I still have to worry about cholesterol, saturated fats, etc?

Furthermore, could anyone key me in as far as how little calories are considered unhealthy for me? I do not starve myself; I sleep fed. I just eat low cal foods, and that seems to  be a problem. (During school, I eat a terrible, greasy lunch, so it evens out then I guess).

Hi. As a young teen male you are still growing and need adequate fuel to do this along with weight gain. I know you stated you don't have an ed and I am not in the position to dx but there does seem some disordered something here. Most young healthy teens don't measure for ex a 1/2 cup of oatmeal. Also your mp looks very low in calories. For most guys it is 3000 they state here to gain at least. Many guys your age to maintain eat that if not more. I would say your current plan is not even 1800 though it is hard since I don't know portions. Like a bagel with cc is not lunch and a snack. Think 3 meals and 3 snacks. Make your oatmeal with milk,add fruit,some toast with pb that is a full breakfast meal. You need healthy fats and having fun food like ice cream is fine. Just make sure you get in adequate nutrients. Have you had a physical? Unless there is some health reason to focus on cholestrol etc I don't see the need. Just choose healthy options and having like I said fun food is fine and unless you have something going on health wise should not have an impact badly.

http://www.bcm.edu/cnrc/bodycomp/bmiz2.html

Check out the above link and enter your stats.  You are underweight at the moment and you need to gain.  As you can see from the chart you need anything from 2500-3300 just to maintain your weight depending on how active you are.  To gain weight you need to add another 500 - 1000 cals to that number.

I agree with the above. You may not be eating disordered but you are chronically undereating.  Most teenage boys are not worrying about whether foods are low-calorie.  It's good to have a healthy diet but that should also include plenty of different foods.... ice-cream and chocolate as well as fruit and vegetables.  Find a balance because there are no bad foods, only bad diets.

Start by consciously eating more.  It's very, very difficult for a young man like you to overeat.  Breakfast could be something cooked.... eggs, bacon, toast, orange juice, cereals.  A cup of oatmeal is nore appropriate for a little old lady.  You should have a hot lunch if possible.... potatoes, vegetables, meat/fish.... a dessert.

If you're ever worried about your health do see your doctor.  They will be able to put your mind at rest and also offer some appropriate advice.  Good luck

To answer your original question regarding BMI, it is possible for teens to experience a slight dip in their BMI during growth spurts. Sometimes, the body weight fails to immediately catch up with the growth in height, causing a small dip in one's BMI. But it will catch up eventually.

Original Post by goobyb:

To answer your original question regarding BMI, it is possible for teens to experience a slight dip in their BMI during growth spurts. Sometimes, the body weight fails to immediately catch up with the growth in height, causing a small dip in one's BMI. But it will catch up eventually.

 There is a huge difference though between a person who is underweight naturally because of growth spurts and a person who restricts. Pre ed when I was a teen I had a growth spurt and was very thin but also I consumed big macs as a snack. No joke. This person is not eating enough for this to be natural and that makes it unhealthy mind and body

Original Post by abbi333:

Original Post by goobyb:

To answer your original question regarding BMI, it is possible for teens to experience a slight dip in their BMI during growth spurts. Sometimes, the body weight fails to immediately catch up with the growth in height, causing a small dip in one's BMI. But it will catch up eventually.

 There is a huge difference though between a person who is underweight naturally because of growth spurts and a person who restricts. Pre ed when I was a teen I had a growth spurt and was very thin but also I consumed big macs as a snack. No joke. This person is not eating enough for this to be natural and that makes it unhealthy mind and body

 *smacks head* Wow... how the heck did I miss that?? That's the last time I post that early in the morning lol. You're right. If his low BMI is caused by undereating, then he's definitely got a problem.