Q: My daughter is 12 ..13 in november, 6th grade, and weighs around 127-129 lbs. and shes 5'4".She has a few friends smaller then her and one quite bigger, but she's still very self conscience. She's very active in basketball and softball.. But she still is wanting to go on a 'diet'. she said she wants to be around 115lbs. Does that sound to small..and does her current weight sound to big? or perfect?

A: She has just about perfect weight for her height (BMI of 22, right in the middle of the recommended range). In general, it's not a great idea for young teenagers to go on a diet unless they are badly overweight. The reason is that the body may 'interpret' it as a signal to stop growing. Your daughter is definitely not overweight, so all other things being equal I would advise against her going on a diet. On the other hand, if she has already made up her mind, it's probably best to discuss with her the right away to lose weight -- that is through more vigorous physical activity and only slight reduction in calories!

Unfortunately many people, teenagers and adults alike, choose all sorts of starvation-like diets for a quick weight loss. The common feature of these is that the person is supposed to eat or drink a lot of some specific food and little or no of everything else. These diets are both unhealthy and ultimately unlikely to work because the weight comes back, which is turn leads to more unhealthy yo-yo dieting behavior. If your daughter wants to lose weight, she should do so by continuing to eat the same way she eats now but only with slightly smaller portion sizes and simply exercise and play sports more.