What Is The Average Weight For A 11 Year Old?
A lot of changes come with pre-adolescence, the period approximately between the ages of 9 and 12. It is the period that prepares kids for puberty. They’re likely to develop and mature fast during this period, so you may notice some changes in their bodies such as deeper voice tone in the boys and the girls begin to grow firmer breasts, or you may notice a sudden change in their weight.
Not every child experiences pre-adolescence at the same time, for some it comes earlier and for others, it comes later in life. As a parent, you may notice that your child is either not as developed or more developed than their peers.
Weight gain is usually the most outstanding change about pre-adolescents, although for some kids it may not seem much. As a parent whose kids are not developing like their peers, your worry could either be that your child is overweight or underweight.
However, not to worry, as there is an average weight range for pre-adolescents, and this article, we will specifically talk about the average weight for an 11-year-old, while also considering factors that influence their weight during this period, their body mass index, how to help them improve their development and lots more. Keep reading.
HOW TO DETERMINE THE AVERAGE WEIGHT FOR AN 11-YEAR-OLD
To know the average weight for an 11-year-old, the growth chart and body mass index (BMI) chart are used to compare a child’s measurements with those of other 11-year-olds. Because boys and girls grow differently, there are different charts for each gender.
If you want to know if your child is overweight or underweight an 11-year-old, the charts help to show this. The chart typically represents the average weight, height, or head circumference of a bunch of normal children. It has a percentile line that includes 5%, 10%, 25%, 50%, 75%, 90%, and 95%, which run parallel to each other.
Let’s say you check your child’s weight and it’s at the 50th percentile line, it means that out of 100 normal 11-year-olds, 50 will be bigger than your child and 50 smaller. Similarly, if the weight of your 11-year-old is at the 25th percentile, it means 75 will be smaller and your child would be bigger than 25 normal 11-year-olds.
WHAT IS THE AVERAGE WEIGHT FOR AN 11 YEAR OLD?
Several research has shown that children will gain 5 pounds a year and according to the kid’s standard growth chart, at the age of 11, they will attain a certain weight, that is considering they’re in good health.
Apart from their health condition, their gender also matters when deciding the average weight for an 11-year-old, since they form differently. The average weight for an 11-year-old boy would not be the same as the average weight for an 11-year-old girl, therefore, we will be considering them individually.
WHAT IS THE AVERAGE WEIGHT FOR AN 11 YEAR OLD BOY?
The average weight for an 11-year-old boy ranges between 40 and 90 pounds but typically tilts more to about 78.5 pounds. This weight is possibly smaller than that of girls of the same age, but boys tend to make up for it as they grow much faster at the end of their puberty.
WHAT IS THE AVERAGE WEIGHT FOR AN 11 YEAR OLD GIRL?
Girls usually weigh more than boys during their pre-adolescence as they tend to develop faster and quicker as they approach puberty. The average weight for an 11-year-old girl ranges between 53 to 102 pounds but typically falls around 81.5 pounds.
It may seem like much, especially when compared to the average weight of boys of the same age. However, this is a healthy weight range for an 11-year-old girl and you don’t have to worry about them being overweight or underweight.
FACTORS THAT COULD INFLUENCE THE AVERAGE WEIGHT OF AN 11 YEAR OLD
When deciding how much your 11-year-old should weigh, it is important to keep in mind, as numerous factors can influence the weight of a young teenager, such as :
Genetics: Genes play a huge role in determining body composition, shape, and fat distribution. The genes your 11-year-old gets from you will determine if they’re heavier or lightweight compared to the average recommended range as genetic makeup differs, especially for those who are not from the same genetic background.
Diet: The type of food you feed your 11-year-old would either improve or deteriorate their health and body mass, as at this age it is essential to keep a healthy and strong body mass. A poor diet would either make your 11-year-old malnourished to be underweight or obese overweight, hence tilting below or above the average weight for an 11-year-old.
Growth Speed: There are no perfect lines when it comes to the growth pattern and development of kids. They bounce up and down the growth chart depending on their appetite, diet, and illness.
Height: Your child’s height is an important factor that influences their weight. It is believed that shorter kids weigh less than taller ones, however, this is not always the case.
Bone Density and Muscle Mass: Sometimes your child’s weight is not a result of the accumulation of fat or the lack of it. It is known that muscle weight weighs more than fat, so if your child is slim but has more bone density and muscle mass, they’re more likely to weigh more than a child who stores more fat with less muscle mass.
Environment: The location where you groom your kids can also influence their body weight. This can be linked with things such as the type of cultural practices, heredity, the onset of puberty, and access to food. All these can be altered depending on your geographical setting.
WHY IS CHECKING BODY WEIGHT IMPORTANT IN 11-YEAR-OLD OF AGE?
Studies have shown that if a child does not have healthy weight now, there is high possibility that he/she will still be healthy weight as an adult, which can result in health complications such as type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol levels, and high blood pressure, later in their life.
Therefore, checking the weight of your child while they’re still young is a way of knowing their growth, and by comparing their weight to that of other children of the same age as theirs, you can tell if your child is growing as expected or not, and if not, it will help you make early adjustments that could help improve their development and reduce risk of having certain health complications in future.
HOW TO IMPROVE DEVELOPMENT IN AN 11-YEAR-OLD
Many factors can affect the development of an 11-year-old, apart from their weight. As a parent, you should encourage healthy living as that would affect their overall health, so here are a few tips that could help you in supporting and improving the development of your 11-year-old
1. Provide Them With Norishment
Your child’s diet affects their overall health. If it’s poor, you won’t only see it in their weight, same as if it’s rich. Try limiting snacks and sugary foods in the house and encourage them to eat more nutritious foods. The best way to do this is by eating those nutritious foods yourself as kids learn more from what they see than from what they’re told.
2. Encourage Good Sleeping Habits
Create a steady bedtime routine, even on weekends, to encourage good sleep habits. But as much as good sleep is important in their development, it should be restricted. Engage them with sports or after-school work to keep them active and awake when they don’t need to be sleeping. This helps improve their brain development.
3. Talk To Them About Sex Education
A pre-adolescent age is a period of self-discovery. By the time your kids are 11, they begin to learn about their bodies and what they’re capable of doing. It’s better to have “the talk” with them at their early stage of development and not wa8t until they’re older, especially since kids these days develop much faster than those in past generations.
4. Maintain A Healthy Lifestyle
As much as you watch your kid’s weight, also watch out for their lifestyle both in and outside the house. Some lifestyle choices can affect their health and development, therefore should be avoided. Smoking, drinking, doing drugs, bullying, and so on, can affect your kid’s development, so pay close attention to what they do. Along with that, encourage them to have an adequate relaxing time with activities like video games, television, and movies.
TAKEAWAY
Being conscious of the weight of your 11-year-old is a progressive way to know how they’re growing and be encouraged to help improve their general development. Since boys and girls develop differently, there is no particular average weight for all 11-year-olds, however, bear in mind that often girls have more body weight than boys.