BMI & Adoption

[Jessica78]

Hi everyone- just wondering what your experiences have been around your BMI being discussed by the social worker as part of the medical?

Is this a hard & fast rule?

And what are the parameters they find acceptable?

Thanks!

I won't say what my BMI is however it is VERY high. It has never been an issue really.
Regarding the medical that all came back that I had no weight related issues so the LA were happy with that.
I was expecting it to crop up at apparoval and matching panel and it never did.
I used to have massive issues with food which are now a lot better and our LOs social worker just asked how I will get around that with a child.

We have just been placed with an 8 month old girl so my BMI hasn't stopped us adopting at all.

Good luck xx

When I first started my journey my BMI was early 40's and it came up in my medical as a potential issue (I am very fit and healthy just fat!). It was suggested I did something about it so I joined slimming world and the gym. By panel I had dropped to late 30's and they asked a couple of questions about how I was going to keep this up. Last week (8 months after panel) I went to matching panel and had dropped down another point on the BMI scale and not one word was mentioned about my weight and I was matched! I was waiting for panel to call me in and the next adopter arrived in the waiting room who was a similar size to me and they also got a yes. Each LA is different but if you can show you are aware and prepared to make some changes they don't seem to hold too much focus on it.

I'm sure there was a thread at some point that established that some agencies had hard and fast rules (35 and 40) I think, whereas others didn't.

I think if they do, they should list it on their website near where they tell you smokers won't be matched with under 5s.

Mine was sky high, and I was encouraged to reduce it, just in case someone on panel cared. They did not care.

(Otoh, you will have no opportunity to do anything about it once DC are placed, so if you're going to tackle it, now's the time!)

Thank you everyone x

Another chubster who's bmi wasn't even mentioned. I'm about 5 stones overweight but have no medical problems and I'm fairly active. I've adopted three children in the last two years with two different agencies and neither mentioned my weight.