As children near adulthood, they continue to mature and grow. Eating a healthy, well-balanced diet, exercising at least three times weekly, and getting adequate rest will help ensure that they will grow and develop properly. Teens who have entered puberty will notice many changes in their developing bodies as fat deposits and muscles change shape. Often these changes are quite dramatic.

Growth charts are used to plot your teen's individual pattern of growth on a curve over a period of time. The curves are generated from weight and height information taken from data on thousands of children and are useful in comparing the growth of normal children and teens.

Using these standards, your teen's doctor can determine whether your teen may be too thin or fat in relation to her height. For example, if your child's weight for her height corresponds to the 85th percentile, then she is heavier than 85% of the other children of the same height. Generally, a teen may need special attention when her height is below the 5th percentile or if the teen's rate of growth is too slow for her age.

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