I am 145-155 pounds and I’m only in middle school. I’m worried about becoming overweight. What is a healthy weight for my age? I might want to lose 10-15 pounds or so, how can I do it and stay committed?

Smiling woman eating a yogurt with blueberriesDetermining a healthy weight can vary greatly from person to person. The body mass index (BMI) is a tool that is helpful to better understand what might be a healthy weight for you. BMI gives a healthy weight range based on your height and age. Don’t forget, the BMI has some limitations because it is just an estimate and someone may weigh more if they are more muscular, still growing, or going through puberty. If you are interested in learning more about BMI, check out our BMI Guide.

If you are thinking about losing a few pounds, eating a balanced diet is important to stay energized and strong and also committed. Feel free to check out our Healthy Eating Guide.


Our health guides are developed through a systematic, rigorous process to ensure accuracy, reliability, and trustworthiness. Written and reviewed by experienced healthcare clinicians from Boston Children's Hospital, a Harvard Medical School teaching hospital and consistently ranked as a top hospital by Newsweek and U.S. News & World Report, these guides combine clinical expertise, specialized knowledge, and evidence-based medicine. We also incorporate research and best practices from authoritative sources such as the CDC, NIH, PubMed, top medical journals, and UpToDate.com. Clinical specialists and subject matter experts review and edit each guide, reinforcing our commitment to high-quality, factual, scientifically accurate health information for young people.