Keeping your teenagers in shape depends on the calories they consume and their activity. And if they’re like the average American teen, they need all the help they can get.

Overweight teens consume 110 to 165 more calories than required each day, which translates into an extra 10 pounds around their waistlines that will only get bigger over time, nutritionists say.

By Karen Collins, MS, RD, CDN
American Institute for Cancer Research

Because more dramatic gains can have serious long-term ramifications, it’s worth paying attention to how much weight you gain while pregnant and retain afterward. Although large weight gains after pregnancy are not typical, most women retain about one pound two to three years after childbirth.