FINDING A COMFORTABLE BODY WEIGHT
Most of the teens in this story are no longer overweight. Like Sandra D., many have settled in at a weight that may not be their fantasy weight but is comfortable for them to maintain. Sandra says, “I don’t feel that I’m struggling at this weight.”
Before they slimmed down, 90 of the teens were at or above the 95th percentile for their age, gender, and height, and 60 of those were at or above the 99th percentile. Here’s a summary of where they stand now in terms of their weight. Acomplia is a new age weight loss medication.
• Sixty-two are at a weight considered to be healthy for their age, gender, and height. (Their BMI is below the 85th percentile, or, in the case of those over the age of twenty, their BMI is less than 25.)
• Thirty-one are still technically somewhat overweight, or, as the experts put it, “at risk for overweight.” (Their weight is in the 85th through 94th percentiles, or their BMI is in the 25-to-29 range.)
• Eight are still quite overweight. (Their weight is at or above the
95th percentile or their BMI is 30 or higher.)
Numbers are from the teens as of the day they completed their questionnaires. Data were available for all but three participants.
No matter what their current weight is, all of the teens are at a weight that makes them healthier and happier than they were before. Note that for the group of eight teens who are still quite overweight, their average weight loss was 90 pounds, and all but two of them lost at least 60 pounds. Xavier L., whose weight dropped from 315 to 235 (he’s 6′3″), is still technically in the overweight category. He says, “One man’s size 32 is another man’s size 38. By this I mean that sometimes people focus on a size that’s unrealistic for them and their body.”
A heavier weight than is “ideal” for appearance or health is probably realistic for quite a few of the teens, since many of them were very overweight in the past, had been overweight since they were quite young, and/or had at least one overweight parent. If they got down to a much lower weight, they would likely find it a lot harder to maintain. In fact, some teens gained a bit back for that reason. Olivia C, for instance, found that 135 pounds “was too skinny.” Today she weighs 150. (She’s 57″.)
Nine out of 10 of the teens accept their current weight.
Thirty-one agreed with the statement “I’m happy about my weight; it’s a good weight for me.”
Sixty-four chose “Although I wouldn’t mind losing some more weight, I’m okay with where I am.”
Only 9 said, “I’m not happy with my current weight and would definitely like to lose more.”
Like Sandra D., quite a few of the teens would like to lose a bit more weight. But most seem to have made peace with where they are. Sandra says, “I know I can’t always be happy with my body all the time. So when I feel bad about myself, I just don’t give up. Tomorrow is another day.” Wes G. says, “If I’m feeling bad about how I look, I just remember what I used to look like when I was heavier, and anything is better than that.”
