Overweight children. Where are the figures coming from and how are they worked out?

[NKF]

Recently a headteacher at a primary school told me thatn a third of their year 6 had been identified as being overweight. The staff was flabbergasted. Where they wanted to know.

These are based on government guidelines I assume. Is there any possibility they could be wrong. I know this school fairly well - it's near me - and the kids look healthy and normal sized and active. Not a scientific observation of course and I'm aware that, to a certain extent, we've all lost a proper sense of good weight and normal portion size etc. But has there been any doubt expressed over the government figures?

[NKF]

Any thoughts anyone?

[potoftea]

Had this conversation with my ds this morning. I had heard on radio that today's 14 year olds are several stone heavier than their grandfathers were. We thought about all his friends and classmates and could only come up with one who is a bit chubby.
I always wonder about these surveys, I know there are lots of overweight adults about, but among my dc's classmates there are few.

[OrmIrian]

potoftea - could this not be because they are mostly bigger-framed and taller than their grandfathers too?

I have a similar problem too NKF - there are undoubtedly some chubby kids in our school, and probably more than when I was a child, but not huge numbers. And generally the fatter kids are picked up by parents whose physique gives you a fair idea where it comes from...

[NKF]

Just being heavier than grandparents wouldn't make you overweight I don't think. Not if you were taller. I think what I'm trying to understand is if the figures are correct then kids should be what most people would call "skinny". And what we call "normal" is in fact "overweight." Or perhaps there is something wrong with the way the children are being measured and evaluated. Does that make sense?

[Peachy]

My ds1- at his alst appt I was told he was borderline obese

Now have a look at his photo on my profile

He takes a size in trusers the same as his age in height, they fall down every day!

GP was astounded,a sked if weighing nurse ahd chart upside down- ds1 is in fact, classed as underweight.

[NKF]

It was that school. I think there is some sort of national weighing of school children going on but I'm not sure. It was definitely not a general statistic.

[goingfor3]

Maybe they only weighed them and didn't take height into account which would make the taller children over weight.

[OrmIrian]

I conducted an impromptu experiment last night. I go running 3 times a week. Up to 3 miles. I haven't been for a while as my calf muscle tore and it's only just getting better now. My DD comes with me on her bike. She was playing with 2 13 yr old girls in our street and they wanted to come too (on foot), and their 11 yr old brother came with me. I didn't particularly expect them to keep up or be able to run all of it (I'm not running the whole distance as my leg is still sore so I'm interval training in a way) but only one of the girls was able to anything like manage it. The other girl and the boy were dead on their feet after about 400yds...running with sweat and hardly able to walk. I was so surprised. All these children walk to school most days, they play in the park, but if that is normal amongst kids of that age it's not surprising that there are so many obese kids. Are most teenagers unable to run ?

[OrmIrian]

That is odd isn't it cat? All the kids round here seem to walk unless they are coming in from a village. But as I say it doesn't seem to make them terribly fit if last night's sample is anything to go by.

[TheArmadillo]

with some children parents have been complaining that they have been classed as overweight because their height hasn't been taken into account. So tall children can be marked as overweight, because they weigh more than expected for their age, while they are actually underweight/normal for their height.

I'm sure that this isn't the case for all, but it does skew the figures.

[Tinker]

I think our idea of normal weight has become skewed though. I remember hearing someone on teh radio (talking about this issue, not just anyone!)saying the natural state for a child should be "skinny". There are loads of what I would view as overweight kids at my daughter's school. When I was at school there would be one per year, roughly. Now easily a few per class are particualrly chubby and with a lot or others being "solid".

[NKF]

If height isn't taken into account, then surely the figures are pretty meaningless. Obviously a short slim child will be lighter than a tall slim child. Aren't they working with some sort of BMI measurement?

[NKF]

Oh I see. That makes sense. And there will be some lee way for individual builds.