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Summary
Do you know if your current weight is healthy? "Underweight", "normal", "overweight", and "obese" are all labels for ranges of weight. Obese and overweight mean that your weight is greater than it should be for your health. Underweight means that it is lower than it should be for your health. Your healthy body weight depends on your sex and height. For children, it also depends on your age.
A sudden, unexpected change in weight can be a sign of a medical problem. Causes for sudden weight loss can include
- Thyroid problems
- Cancer
- Infectious diseases
- Digestive diseases
- Certain medicines
Sudden weight gain can be due to medicines, thyroid problems, heart failure, and kidney disease.
Good nutrition and exercise can help in losing weight. Eating extra calories within a well-balanced diet and treating any underlying medical problems can help to add weight.
- Assessing Your Weight (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
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Assessing Your Weight and Health Risk
(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
Latest News
- Obesity May Be Bad for The Brain, Too (08/10/2016, HealthDay)
- Underweight Seniors May Have Added Alzheimer's Risk (08/05/2016, HealthDay)
- Average American 15 Pounds Heavier Than 20 Years Ago (08/03/2016, HealthDay)
- More News on Body Weight
Related Issues
- Adult Obesity Causes & Consequences (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Antidepressants and Weight Gain (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Body Image (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health)
- Can Beta Blockers Cause Weight Gain? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Normal Weight Obesity: A Hidden Health Risk? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Thyroid and Weight (American Thyroid Association) Also in Spanish
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World Around You: Use What You Have to Stay Healthy and Fit
(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
- PDF
Specifics
- About BMI for Adults (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
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Do You Know the Health Risks of Being Overweight? (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
- Preventing Weight Gain (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
- Unexplained Weight Loss (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
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What Are Overweight and Obesity? (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
Also in Spanish
Health Check Tools
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Body Weight Planner (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
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Calculate Your Body Mass Index (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
Also in Spanish
- Weight Loss (DSHI Systems)
Statistics and Research
- FastStats: Obesity and Overweight (National Center for Health Statistics)
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Overweight and Obesity Statistics (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
Clinical Trials
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Body Mass Index (National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Body Weight (National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Body Weight Changes (National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Obesity (National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Thinness (National Institutes of Health)
Journal ArticlesReferences and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
Find an Expert
- Find a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics)
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National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
Children
- About BMI for Children and Teens (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
- Is My Child's Appetite Normal? (Food and Nutrition Service) - PDF
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MedlinePlus: Birth Weight (National Library of Medicine)
Also in Spanish
- Overweight and Obesity (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
- Poor Weight Gain in Infants and Children (Beyond the Basics) (UpToDate)
- What "Being Overweight" Means (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
- Your Child's Weight (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Teenagers
- Healthy Weight Gain for Teens: A Guide for Parents (Children's Hospital Boston)
- Media and Body Image (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists)
- What's the Right Weight for My Height? (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Seniors
- Healthy Weights for Healthy Older Adults (Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics)
Patient Handouts
- Body mass index Also in Spanish
- Growth chart Also in Spanish
- Overweight Also in Spanish
- Weight gain - unintentional Also in Spanish
- Weight loss - unintentional Also in Spanish
