Two Year old “overweight”

And tweaking his diet doesn't necessarily mean 'suppressing his growth'.

Look at all the threads where MNetters are asking how to amuse a child during a wedding, funeral, sibling's parents evening, train journey etc.

The advice is nearly always 'take plenty of snacks to occupy them'.

They're often taught to comfort /boredom eat from a very early age which can lead to many future problems.

No one can tell you’re that you’re unreasonable without much more information. I do think we’ve completely lost sight of what a normal healthy weight is, and being overweight is almost ubiquitous.

My DS has just had his 2 year check and they didn’t do BMI, just the growth chart centiles.

Did they tell you what centile he is on for his height?

My DS is on the 98the centile for weight, but his height matches it so it’s not an issue. I’m also in the camp that 2 year olds are chubby and then they get taller and lose it and start looking like little girls/ boys instead of big babies.

But I would say that NHS services are so overstretched that if they offer you a dietician I would accept because by the time the appointment comes round things might have changed so you may as well be on the list.

The problem with parents following their instincts, is that they're so often wrong.

This is borne out by the fact over a quarter of UK children aged between 2 and 15 are overweight or obese.

From those of us who parent teens with eating disorders - please follow your instincts. If he’s on his growth curve, he’s fine - falling below it at any point is when you need to worry. The medical profession places so much misplaced importance on BMI which cannot be a useful measurement at this age. Suppressing his growth by limiting food intake in whatever way is just going to be a huge risk factor for problems later.

If you’ve actually been offered proper help I’d take it. That stuff it like rocking horse shit. So if the hv thinks you need it and you admit he is “chunky” take it.

Because like parents that say their child is “spirited” always means it’s under played by the parent.

I didn't realize they used bmi for children. I don't think that a nutritionist will try and put a 2 year old on a weight loss diet, probably just advise to make sure that he's eating the best possible diet to stay healthy.

I’ve had two chunky two year olds. Both girls with massive appetites who ate exceedingly healthily but loved food and just probably ate a bit too much. Both were bay led weaned and the view that a baby won’t overeat is clearly rubbish. I stressed a lot about it. My girls were always “hungry” on days out their friends would be running of playing whilst mine were demanding snacks, at parties lots of the other kids weren’t fussed about the food, mine were the last to leave the table. I’d be the mum at the cafe taking the food off their plate so they didn’t eat too much. I remember letting my then 4 year old eat her full plate at her birthday meal and she spent the afternoon in the toilet with tummy pains.

DD1 is now a very skinny 10 year old. Super super active with not a massive appetite and can eat what she wants.

DD2 is not sporty and weight is still on a higher centile that height. We got the overweight letter in reception for her but her weight and height have gradually evened out a bit in the 3 years since. It’s not easy though and it’s so hard to keep a child with a big appetite a healthy weight without giving them a complex.

I also have DS4 who has a terrible diet compared to his sisters as he is so fussy, but he also just doesn’t have their appetite and is a skinny thing whose age 3 trousers fall down. He’s the kid running around at the party rather than eating.

So this is a long way of saying I’m sure you’re not to blame if he is a bit chunky. You get a child who loves food or one who doesn’t.

This said, so many of my 10 year old’s class are very overweight and out of all the slightly chubby toddlers who started school with her, she is the only one who is slim now, so perhaps it’s worth seeing the nutritionist to sense check portion size and see if they can give any tips.

Sounds like it is just a portion size issue then, you can cut those down on your own, up the veg. If you are giving bottles then drop them to one small cup of milk a day.

It's the norm if a child is outside of a healthy weight range.
The dietician won't try to get your 2 year old to lose weight, they will just advise you on foods and portion sizes so that he doesn't put more weight on until his height catches up.

People have forgotten what a normal weight child looks like. You are supposed to be able to see a child’s ribs. If they say he’s overweight then he is! I don’t know why you’d decline a nutritionist-if his diet is perfect they will tell you that when you go and you’ll be vindicated.

I wouldn’t be worried if he’s eating healthily. All my husbands brother and sisters were 10 and 11lb babies , chunky toddlers Aged 3/4 tall bean poles . Now tall athletic . My kids always over 95th percentile height and heigh percentile weight.

youngest aged 5 now a waif and eats more then I do , my nine year old had put on a lot of weight but she’s really tall and carries it well mostly tummy , like me I expect early puberty and she’ll lose the extra naturally . Doctor isint concerned she runs track and is very fit. Your little boy is just storing a bit for a rainy day like my Nana used to say . I thinks it’s crackers that a nutritionist was suggested. .

Why on earth would I refuse help for a child?

I assume HV was offering a referral to a nutritionist? That’s not putting a child on a diet as such - I’d have taken her up on it - what’s the harm?

If he's breastfed he'd be more likely to seem "chunky" compared to other babies and toddlers. Mine always seemed to develop a thicker waist over the winter before stretching taller around now and through the summer. If he's eating nutritious food and is mobile then maybe he's getting ready to have a growth spurt in the spring.

Is your DS tall for his age? If he's in 95th percentile for weight he should also be in 95th per entire for height. I'd reduce portion size very slightly and add more veg to his plate. I'd cut back his milk. If he's eating well he doesn't need lots of milk anymore.

Is he quite short? Can you see his ribs? Does he have a belly overhang?

I don’t understand why you would decline the nutritionist? It’s just a conversation and there may possibly be some things you are doing that could be tweaked. If his diet is good then it will reassure on right lines.
If HV had suggested you have a follow up apt re his eyes or hearing you would.

I wouldn't refuse dietician help if my child was overweight, nip it in the bud now before it gets out of hand.

I was a massively over weight child and adult, it took everything I had in me to loose the (11stone) excess weight in my late 20s. I will do absolutely everything in my power for that not to be my kids future.

How much fruit does he eat? Fruit is pretty high in sugar, so don't let him have unlimited fruit. Unlimited veg would be better.

Maybe increase his activity levels somewhat too.

My son’s BMI at his Reception checks was high enough to warrant a letter home from the NHS but I could see every rib so I was bemused, ignored it and continued trying to feed him up! But you describe your son as ‘chunky’, so I think you’re not in the ‘ignore BMI, it’s flawed’ category. If she’s mentioned it, he is likely to be beyond the ‘chunky’ level statistically. People are really bad at recognising that their children are overweight and what seems normal to you is not necessarily actually ‘normal’ or healthy. As a PP said, it may be that the portions you are giving are too big, or perhaps a lot of fruit or other high sugar ‘healthy’ snacks? If you’re genuinely happy that you are giving him appropriately sized portions of healthy foods without too much sugar, naturally occurring or otherwise, then ignore their advice. But I would want to be really confident that I had checked what the recommended portions and quantities of different food types were first.

Is he quite clearly very fat or just a normal chunky 2 year old? Despite what people have said here, it is normal for toddlers to be chubby. I once expressed some concern about my toddler DD’s BMI to a paediatrician, and she said they don’t worry about it at that age. She was a very chunky 2 year old, and now at 8 she is like a beanpole. I’d be inclined to take no notice.

Our perception of what a normal weight child looks like is skewed by the fact that as a population we are more overweight. Your child doesn't necessarily stand out in your eyes.

I would just be very factual. Weigh and measure your child and use the NHS BMI for age calculator, which is designed to be used for children. I assume this is what the HV has done but if you disagree it's worth checking. If he is overweight, it will likely be due to what he is eating at home - too many packaged snacks or portion sizes too big perhaps. The nutritionist may be helpful if you don't know what needs to change.