Foundation Child got height and weight result - is it ok?

[mummyosaurus]

I was sent my DS's height and weight results today. He will be 5 in december.

They are Height 119.8 cm - 98 - 99.6 centile

and

weight 26.6 kg - 99.6 centile

As the centiles are about the same, does that mean he's okay?

He has always been quite chunky - rugby player build, and I did have to buy him plus fit jeans in next, which I wasn't too happy about.

I have been working really hard with portion sizes, he would eat for England if I gave it to him. And we eat healthy, with a few treats if others are having them (don't want to make him concious of any issues).

The note from school just gives me the figures and no explanation at all. I know my DD (now yr 2)was weighed and measured in reception but I never got any results, which is making me wonder if getting a note means I should do anything? Any ideas what? Visit the GP? Practice Nurse?

[Iamnotminterested]

He's a tall lad! Not a health visitor or similar but guessing, as you said, that height and weight are on similar centiles so in proportion.

[PollyParanoia]

My children have the opposite problem, don't eat and a way skinny and pretty short. I think if the centiles match that sounds fine to me (mine all are taller, relatively, to their weight which pushes their BMI down to almost officially underweight levels. I hasten to add this is not a problem their mother has!)
Anyway I was worrying about it and found this
www.blubberbuster.com/height_weight.html
It's a BMI calculator for kids and gives height, weight and bmi centiles calculated to the age you put in.

[PollyParanoia]

Sorry have just put in those figures you gave and it does sound like maybe it should be of some concern. Have you weighed and measured him yourself? Does he look much bigger than his classmates?
BMI is a pretty blunt instrument as it takes no account of muscle but I don't entirely trust other people's measurements.

[talkingnonsense]

I think the letter would have told you if they were concerned. The centimes would imply that he is both tall and heavy for his age, so I would imagine that makes sense.

[talkingnonsense]

Centiles! Stupid autocorrect. Also, try plotting it in the red book and see if it follows on well from his younger measurements?

[BetsyBoop]

use the NHS bmi calculator - it tells you if they think the child is normal/overweight etc
but take with a pinch of salt and also use your own eyes with rose tinted specs off

[mummyosaurus]

Had a look on blubber buster, it comes up as obese.

So I suppose I press on with the portion control, as much exercise as I can and general healthy eating.

I can't imagine that the GP could really give me any help? I know what to do. I'd just be wasting their time do you think?

Polly - If you look at him clothed he looks fine, people (including DH and Grandparents) think I am mad to be worried, but it is worrying when you read the risks of "obese". undressed he is solid and has a bit of a tum, chunky arms and legs but not fat as such. He is not keen on running, and is slower than many boys, I think because he's quite heavy.

It is a little bit up from his centiles as a baby but he was 10lb at birth so he's always been a big lad.

I think I have to nip it in the bud because if he carries on this way he will get fat.

[Wafflenose]

My DD has just turned six and I weighed and measured her on her birthday. She was 118cm and 21.3kg, which puts her on the 75th centile for height and between the 50th and 75th for weight. She is well proportioned - a bit on the slim side if anything, but very definitely not underweight. So your son is a little taller than her, and 5kg heavier. It sounds like he probably is on the heavy side, although you said he has always had quite a big build anyway. It sounds like you are doing all the right things regarding diet and exercise. I don't think it would be a waste of the GP's time to see him/ her about your child's weight - they would be able to monitor it, and might have more ideas to help. Well done for being so pro-active on his behalf.

[Tgger]

Cor! A boy who's taller than my DS! DS is the tallest in his class at about 118cm (no official measurements here yet). He's about 21 kg, 3 stone 4ish- quite skinny looking but broad as well.

It sounds like your son is pretty much in proportion, but I would judge it by how he behaves- is he active, does he walk and run a lot? Just seen he's not keen on running- I would try to change this, seems strange to me as DS 5 in October has always ran and is almost second nature to him. He also eats for England by the way but seems to have his own "control" ie stops eating when full.

I would just tweak his diet a bit for a while and see if it makes any difference- you don't have to say anything much to him, just cut back on pudding/cakes/biscuits and maybe more importantly get him more active. Does he do football or anything like that?

[EdithWeston]

I'd say this is fine. Weight and height are in proportion. It just means he's a large child for his age.

[chillikate]

Please make sure that any BMI Calculator you use is designed for use on kids. Its a different calculation.

He sounds fine to me. The important thing is that the 2 centiles match.

[DeWe]

I think you need to be careful here. Are you and/or your dp tall?

Apparently if a young child is overfed (not saying you are) they tend to grow early, so will be tall as well as big, so you can think they're fine. (Like an underfed child will often also be small). The difference is that the underfed child will not regain the height they've lost. However what happens with the overfed child is that they grow early, look just "big" and then at some point stop growing (in proportion) when they've reached their height potential and just grow outwards(assuming you continue overfeeding).

I came across this (GP showed me and I've since seen it in other places) when my dd1 stopped growing much between the age of 7 and 10 1/2. She had had a ferocious appetite as a baby, and I'd been careful with her diet since about 18 months (I never told her I was, and I don't thinl she ever realised), but she had been very tall and proportionally large. She's now (age 11) just started growing again, but from being at the top end of the centiles height and weight, is now almost exactly 50% height and just below weight.

My IL family do have weight problems (although they wouldn't admit it) so I am very pleased if I've stopped dd1 going the same way.

[mummyosaurus]

Thank you everyone for your replies.

I am 5 8 and DH is 6 ft, however in my mum's family men are called short arse if they are under 6' 4" so there is potential for him to be tall. I had heard of that overfeeding / growth thing, and it's always in the back of my mind.

I have weight issues, DH is slim, DD is normal height, and slim, she has the stop when full mechanism I so wish DS and I had.

I am super carefully about "body image" and although I am always dieting refer to it as "healthy eating club" and never moan in front of them about my flab.

I think I know the answer. I don't want him to ever be aware of it as an issues - he's 4. He loves bike riding, scooting, swimming, we walk lots, not keen on running (but although active and outdoors types, DH and I are not athletic types). I think he would like running more if he was leaner though.

I hate to have to hover over him when someone brings a plate of biscuits out but I am just going to have to, he would eat the lot. He already knows I will try to restrain him, so crams them down without even enjoying them. Any suggestions what to do is this situation especially welcome? Anyone else have to do this?

As I said early everyone else thinks I'm making a fuss over nothing, even dh. So I feel like it's all on my shoulders. Your comments and thoughts have helped though. It's a mums lot I suppose!

[Northumberlandlass]

My DS is on the 98th centile for height & weight. Yes he is only 8 and nearly 6 stone, but he is also over 140cm....do not stress about this.

He sounds perfectly in proportion to me, ok my DS isn't skinny but he isn't fat.

He eats like a horse, lots of healthy food but some crap too . I just make sure he us active, he swims 3 times a week, plays rugby, always out for walks.

Your DS is getting loads of excercise, I don't think you need to worry too much!

[Tgger]

Keep an eye over the next 6 months to a year. I think they naturally slim down at this age, or they should do so maybe this will happen with your son. I think the main concern is for children who are big and inactive, they are the ones who will build up problems, but if your son is out being active

Have you tried relaxing over the quantities he eats and putting him in control more? Has he been able to eat to his appetite since he was a baby or did you start controlling it from early on? Maybe you could try changing your approach and see if it changes him- again you don't have to tell him you're doing this. Eg my son will sometimes eat a huge helping of pasta and sometimes will eat a very small portion. I leave it to him. Quite often he is too full up to have pudding- his choice. If he in an eating for England type day then I let him have as big a portion of main course as he likes, followed by pudding, extra pudding, and then after that he's onto healthier options like cereal or toast rather than more chocolate fingers .

[mummyosaurus]

Thank you Northumberlandlass (I love Northumberland BTW, had a fantastic holiday cycling round the coast before the kids). DS is exactly as you say your DS is - I must get him into Rugby, if it went on build - he'd play for England.

Tgger, I will think over what you say about portions, I am a bit controlling, try to get him to eat his veg and not just potatoes. My first child, DD, was a fussy eater and I was used to coaxing her to eat (she had problems as a baby putting on weight!), so when DS came along and ate whatever I was overjoyed but have had to realise he is a different child and does not seem to stop when he is full. I think I did over feed him (which was letting him eat to his appetite? Horrible truth - I did even encourage him to overeat) because it was so lovely to have a child that ate. My dd will sometimes eat a small portion and sometimes a big one as you describe, but I imagine DS will always eat loads and probably just the potatoes. I will give it some thought.

Fingers crossed you are right and he will slim down, he is certainly growing taller, needs age 6 trousers for leg length.

[ChazsBrilliantAttitude]

Its worth remembering with children is that nature is on your side. If you can hold his weight steady or slow the increase in weight to a slower rate than the rate of increase in his height he will grow into a healthy weight range.

One thing I have consciously tried to do is not label foods and good or bad or treats. This is one of my issues where I tend to associate certain (usually unhealthy) foods as a reward for doing something or a pick me up when I am down. I don't have a lot of sweet stuff in the house and I don't let the children eat it at will, but if they ask for the odd chocolate biscuit then I will give it to them without a fuss. They don't get sweets etc for behaving / being good / to cheer them up etc. its simply another food that they sometimes get to eat.

[Seona1973]

the nhs link comes up as him being overweight rather than obese. It is just a snapshot though as he is still growing and height and weight will both change. I'd work on portion size and activity levels.

[mummyosaurus]

Chaz I'm with you there, never given them a biscuit to make them feel better or distract them. I'm an "emotional eater" and it's a bugger of a habit to break.

Thanks Seona, that's reassuring. We are off for a 6 mile bike ride tomorrow, apples as snacks

[LadyLapsang]

OP, perhaps the best place to start would be to tackle your own weight. There is a huge link between children being overweight and having one or both parents overweight / obese. You mention some relatives as saying they don't think he has a problem but you need to consider people who are overweight themselves often don't recognise what is a healthy weight in others; also there is the issue of politeness, not many people are going to come out and say an overweight child is overweight, they will couch it in terms of puppy fat, well covered, big bones, big build etc. Why don't you ring up the school nurse and get some help, I'm sure she would be more than pleased that you were being pro-active about helping your DS achieve a healthy weight - from what I hear many of them dread having to ring parents and explain their children are overweight / obese. Probably a good idea to get rid of the biscuits etc. at home - the slim ones in the house don't need them and it's really difficult to let your DD have them but not your DS.

[mummyosaurus]

Yes, that's a good idea I could try and get hold of the school nurse. I wonder why they wouldn't put some advice on the form they sent home.

Even my super slim mum thinks I'm being ridiculous, and DH who is BMI 22.

We have a few biscuits in the house but only ones I don't like. They only have the odd one at weekends. I swear anyone could inspect my lunch boxes they are the healthiest of anyone I know. It's treats when out of the house I need to cut down on, and keep concentrating on portion sizes.