I’m 14 and recently gained about 32 lbs, but have also grown 2 inches. How much of the weight is healthy and how much is excess? Katie. [via Ask Questions]

Essentially, your question boils down to this: Is my weight healthy? It seems like an easy question, but it is not easy to answer the “Is my weight healthy?” question for a number of reasons.

First of all, if you have not done this already, read the following posts: The Ideal Body Weight Formula and What Is a Healthy Bodyfat Percentage?

Second, I do not know what your height is. You have gained 32 pounds, but you did not mention your current weight. Without knowing your current weight and height, it is impossible to determine whether your weight is healthy or not.

Third, and this is a total speculation on my part (feel free to ignore it), but in my experience, when people start asking questions such as “Is my weight healthy?” or “Do I need to lose weight?” – there is a pretty good chance that they already know the answer.

And finally, to answer the “Is my weight healthy?” question definitively, go to your doctor. He or she has all your data and knows your medical history. It should not take more than 5 minutes for your doctor to figure out if your current weight is in a healthy range. I hope it is. If it is not, do not worry about it. You are very young, all you need to do to keep your weight in a healthy range is to eat healthy and be physically active.