<p>My daughter is 16.5, 5’2" and weighs around 108. Until last year she weighed between 120 and 130. She was adopted and we have no birth family history.</p>
<p>On the BMI scale she is perfectly normal–the normal range for her height is 18.5-24.9 and hers is 19.8. But she didn’t look fat at all when she weighed 125. She’s built solid–since she was little, people have always remarked, on trying to pick her up, that she felt like she was nailed to the floor :). She’s reasonably active–we live in NYC and she takes the subway and walks plenty, and her school has 8 floors and she’s always running up and down the steps. She doesn’t participate in an afterschool sport but she participates plenty in gym class which has included quite a bit of aerobic and anaerobic activity. And she has friends who live in buildings with gyms and she often remarks that they worked out when she is with them.</p>
<p>I know that she eats at least one solid meal a day–I make her dinner and she eats around 800-1000 calories every night, and another 200 or so for breakfast. And I am sure she isn’t purging. But during the past four months, her periods have gotten more irregular–since she was 13 or so, her period came every 5 weeks or so; now it’s up to every 6 weeks or so, and some of them have been scant.</p>
<p>Otherwise she is as healthy as can be–rarely gets sick and when she does, she recovers quickly. She hasn’t lost more than one day from school to illness since she was in elementary school. Her hair and nails are healthy and her complexion is better than most teens her age. I don’t believe she’s been sexually active although she does have a boyfriend.</p>
<p>We go to a group pediatrics practice. When she was 12 and we had our year of misery before she got her first period, the ped we saw looked her up on the BMI chart and said that she was obese. Anyone with eyes could see that she was not, and it was a terrible thing for her self-image. Although she isn’t as hyper-emotional as she was when she was 12, she is a teenager and I am reluctant to take her to a doctor who doesn’t know her very well and might come to an unwarranted conclusion.</p>
<p>Missing from your post is, what does SHE think? Did she try to lose the weight? Have you asked her about her weight loss? Is she analyzing everything she eats? Is she in the same percentile for her weight as always?</p>
<p>My D is 5’5" and only 98 pounds. She is very thin but she has always been between 5-10 percentile on weight, so it is not too concerning to the doctor. Context is everything.</p>
<p>5’2" and 108 lbs is normal weight for that height. It could just be she is finally shedding her puberty 'puppy fat". I would keep an eye on her weight to make sure it doesn’t drop much more and would bring it up with her dr at her next physical if necessary but do NOT focus on that. I’m a little concerned that you know exactly how many calories she is eating.</p>
<p>5’2" and 130 isn’t really “obese” but it isn’t ideal either.</p>
<p>My D is 17 years old, 5’3" and 101 lbs. so she is similar to your daughter in height/weight. She eats about 2 meals per day and junk food too! I’m sure she’ll gain the Freshman 15 when she goes to school next year. Your D sounds healthy, active, and happy but to be sure you may want her to have a complete physical exam where both of you can ask questions about any concerns. It doesn’t seem as though you have anything to worry about though.</p>
<p>Her current weight doesn’t sound like a problem (I’m 5’2" and didn’t get to over 100lbs until after college). However, the weight loss does raise questions. Over how many weeks/months? Was something unusual happening in her life that caused the weight loss?</p>
<p>Doesn’t sound too skinny to me. My BMI is less than hers and I wouldn’t call myself skinny. Sound like she’s a healthy active young woman. When I lost some weight my periods were affected some. The Dr. said it was not unusual.</p>
<p>Seems like a healthy weight to me, but you are concerned. I would talk to the pediatrician. Losing 12 to 22 pounds could mean something is up. D lost 20 pounds when she went to college. She had been a varsity athlete in high school, so she had been very solid. The pediatrician told her to stay above 110 - she is 5’4". She has been 110-115 for eight years now and very healthy.</p>
<p>Recommended weight for a female is 100 lbs for the first 5 ft and 5 lbs for each additional inch. Her ideal weight is 110 lbs. In my opinion, 108 lbs is pretty darn close to perfect. :)</p>
<p>I would have her checked out for medical issues (maybe thyroid). Her weight seems pretty normal but the fact that she is having irregular menstrual cycles and that the weight loss was unintentional raise red flags to me.</p>
<p>Sounds normal, and she has been healthy. Maybe you should tell her you noticed that she has lost weight and ask if she has been dieting. Tell her she looks good, but you are concerned that she should stay healthy and not lose too much weight.</p>
<p>I have 4 daughters and could only guess what they weigh or how many calories they eat. Don’t know about their cycles, either. They all have different builds, but look healthy and haven’t mentioned any problems.</p>
<p>(btw, I am 5’7" 110 lbs–slightly underweight, and have been the same all my adult life–except pregnancies.)</p>
<p>If she is healthy, that is a fine weight for her.
My 30yrold daughter weighs about 103 and is 5’1". She isn’t extremely muscular, but she doesnt look too thin either.
I think 16 yr olds generally have irregular cycles until they mature, which may not be till their 20’s.
I actually only have regular cycles when I am overweight.
5’2"& 138lbs but I’m 55 give me a break! ;)</p>
<p>So she lost 12 lb over the course of the year? That’s not bad and could be due to normal changes.</p>
<p>If you’re really concerned though, take her to the doctor. That’s perfectly normal weight for that height though and I wouldn’t worry about it. Just watch her and try to see if she’s excessively exercising, not eating like she used to, etc. </p>
<p>When I dropped down to < 130 lb at 6’0" they suspected I was anorexic. One of the things my parents were told to look for was excessive hair in the drain. Just a thought but I’d echo young’s advice upthread.</p>
<p>I “hear” your concern and would not dismiss it based on reassurances of current BMI/wt, as her weight may continue to decline given her eating habits. I would be concerned about her missed periods; that can seriously affect bone health… I don’t know the best way to address it, but I would try sooner rather than later.</p>
<p>My son was overweight for a few years and I asked/told his pediatrician not to address it with him. I’m a nurse and psychologist and have seen really bad eating disorders from badly placed comments. Then he lost 40 pounds in a year or so and I asked/told his Dr not to make an issue of it for the same reason. She didn’t and we have just watched. He has kept the weight off for years. Sometimes girls need some hormonal therapy to regulate periods. I did. As others have said, you need medical advice, not ours on this.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone for the feedback. Yes, we’ll go and see the pediatrician (requesting someone we know is sensible rather than the one with the “obese” diagnosis based on the BMI chart). I just wanted some ideas from fellow parents!</p>
<p>When was her last physical and were any of these issues addressed then? Bloodwork could rule out/rule in several conditions including hyperactive thyroid, anemia, and, I believe, anorexia/bulimia(on the basis of electrolyte imbalance). Does your pediatric practice including any physicians who specialize in adolescent medicine? My daughter had some health issues at that age and was very unhappy with her male pediatrician-she felt that he talked down to her and didn’t take her concerns seriously. Things went much better when we found a female doctor experienced with working with adolescents.</p>