To be worried about my children's weight?

[ChinnyChinChin]

I have 2 gorgeous, happy, healthy boys, an 8mth old and a 3 yrs old. My boys are big children. At age 1, ds1 was 36lbs. At 3yrs he has slowed down a lot in his weight gain but is still big and is now 3 stone/ 42lbs. My 8mth old is over 30lbs already. Both ebf, both blw. I am very aware of and read a lot of the research about childhood obesity and links to long term issues etc. At the same time I recognise my boys are both well off the chart for height as well as weight, and I am 5ft9 and my husband is 6ft2. My 3yr old is already over 41 inches/ 3ft5.
They eat a really healthy diet, we grow most our food and rear our own meat. I cook fresh food every day, and they eat lots of fruit and veg. they mainly drink water (8mth old still bf) and sometimes ds1 has juice, but not often. Occasionally ds1 will have a chocolate treat but this certainly isn't an every day occurrence, more like a grandparent thing! They also have a healthy lifestyle, lots of outside play and activities. They watch minimal tv, etc.
Just wondering really when do they go from being 'big' children to being obese and a problem I need to rectify? The HV recently told me I needed to react to this and rectify the problem but had no suggestions no how to make their lifestyles or diet healthier.

posted in chat as well but posted here for traffic

[NoIamAngelaHernandez]

Are they tall as well as heavy?

Can you give us an eg of what they eat in a day?

[MrsMook]

If their height and weight are proportionate the they're fine. Have they got a genetic tendency towards a large build?

[Twobusyboys]

I'd be surprised if an 8 mth old could have managed to beco.e overweight after being ebf and blw.

[ChinnyChinChin]

No problem, Today's diet for 3yr old. 1.5 weetabix for breakfast, apple and banana snack, lunch - (at CMs) cheese sandwich (homemade wholemeal bread), raisins, raw carrots and cucumber, snack - nuts and raisins (handful) - dinner - homemade fish fingers, wholemeal pasta, peas and brocolli.

8mths old - same as above for main meals except breakfast was a banana, all was blw and snack were bf's.

[sadbodyblue]

you both are tall, your dcs sound normal height to weight ratio. I suppose I am saying do you think they look overweight or proportionate.

[ChinnyChinChin]

both dh and i are medium builtbut not overweight, not slight either though.

[NoIamAngelaHernandez]

Blimey, that sounds v v healthy.

My DCs are both slim and eat way more and more calorific food than that. They are just 4.

I wouldn't worry at all.

[ChinnyChinChin]

I think my 8mth old is chunky but only as much as ds1 was, ds1 looks a really healthy build to me. I get ALOT of comments from others though about how chubby 8mth old is and how big ds2 is (though not in relation to chubby, he is just solid!)

[VoyageDeVerity]

If you are both tall and heavy set they are unlikely to be waifs.

I think the diet is very healthy actually. If they play outdoors And get regular excersise I honestly don't see why the HV said anything..

[summerlovingliz]

Sounds to me like you are doing a wonderful job and I am sure have nothing to be concerned about.. They are going to be strapping lads by the sounds of it. I bet they will take some feeding as they get older but their diet sounds perfect to me, my 3 yr old ds also eats a healthy balanced diet but does have a treat most days

[VoyageDeVerity]

Dd is tiny like DH and eats this and that - v carb heavy food. But she is a really slim build, it's just genetics.

[NoIamAngelaHernandez]

Also, 8 month old is likely to slim down significantly when he starts walking fairly soon and will be much more active.

At that age our DTs used up a lot of energy in their jumperoo!

[sadbodyblue]

healthy 8 month olds often look like porkers until they start to crawl/walk. my 4 were always massive.

dss now over 6 foot and built like brick out houses. dds are very slight but all eat.

some HV need to stop looking at bloody charts and look at the family genes.

[mymatemax]

as long as you are happy that the portion sizes are also appropriate for a tiny tummy then everything sounds OK.
My boys are also well built, they tend to go through phases of filling out & looking a little chubby & then having a growth spurt where they slim down a bit but stretch upwards.

[ChinnyChinChin]

mymate -ds1 does exactly that, he'll have a huge appetite, look at bit chubbier, shoot up and appetite will go back to normal, this seems to happen every 3-4mths.

[mymatemax]

Chinnychin - My ds1 is a teenager now, is v v sporty a good rugby and football player, very fit & healthy but is still as they say.... well covered :)
TBH if he wasn't so active I think he would pile on the pounds, I think he is just that way inclined.
You know your children best, if you dint feel there is anything to worry about there probably isnt