To think we have lost sight of what teh correct weight for a child is

[sassysally]

All these parents have gone, outraged to the mostly national press because they don't think their child has an ounce of fat on them, and the newspapers have published them,but to me are all clearly too heavy

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I understand what people are staying about some obese children being taller than average as well.

This is anecdotal, but there are two children in DS's year 1 class (one boy one girl) who are both very tall as well as bigger build overweight. They look like overweight 9 year olds rather than tall but in proportion 6 (or even 7) year olds. Their height does not fit in with the natural variation of the height of the rest of the class/year. They are both a head taller than the rest of these class, and I think the year as well. (120 intake)

The problem with "overwieght" letters is that they are incredible impersonal yet they are written with quite emotive language. I feel that the school nurse really needs a conversation with a parent rather than sending an impersonal letter. Parents need support rather than chastisement.

My dinky 5 year old, who wears size 3-4 clothes was labelled as over weight when they did the measuring and weight! I had to laugh, he wears clothes his older brother was wearing when he was 2 and yet he's perfectly fine, but I was told a few times when he was little that he was/would be obese.

Bmi is bollocks anyway

But surely children can be different builds without being over weight?

My dd is 75th centile for height and 50th for weight. She is in reception and had a letter saying she was a healthy weight. She has chubby cheeks though.

My ds is 2 next month and is 91st centile for height and weight. His bmi is the 69th centile and according to the nhs calculator he is a healthy weight - but he looks a much stockier, bigger child than my dd - still with the same big chubby cheeks. He's definitely a genetically different/bigger build than she is and they are brother and sister.

I wish I could have read this after Easter

Ah sarinka but bored enough to contribute , eh?
I started this debate, and if you think fat-shaming and spitefulness is the motivation, then you are completely missing the point.

We need to have an open and honest conversation about childhood obesity, this is for the benefit of the child and society as a whole.

Instead of storing up problems for the future let's get ahead and tackle it at an early stage. I think these letters are a great idea.

System - it's not clear to the majority of parents whose children are overweight that they are, actually, overweight. here

Sassy this is absolutely worthy of debate and discussion, in fact I think its very necessary. I don't think links to pictures of young children was necessary at all.

I take your point, Tartanrug, but I actually think it was necessary because the crux of the issue is that people do not believe their child to be overweight because they don't know what 'overweight' looks like.I don't see how we could have meaningfully debate this without an example to look at because we would al have had a different idea in our head of what these children look like.And the responses some posters have given ie 'that child isn't fat' has confirmed that everybody's idea of 'too heavy' is different.
Please remember these are not random children pics.These are photos of children, whose parents have gone to national newspapers with their story ,thus more or less forcing the reader to inwardly judge whether they are fat or not.

My dd takes after her 6.2 skinny dad. She weighs 4 stone dead on and is 136 cm tall She is on 90th for height and 9th for weight. I find it laughable that because she is tAll she is destined to be obese. What a ridiculous idea.

My son however could be. He is more like me stocky and not as tall 75th centile and 50th for weight. He is dead skinny on the ribs but has muscular arms and legs and bum. Dd has thin slender limbs and no bum

It's genetics so my son will have to watch his diet as I do.

Mad noone has said that a slim, tall child is destined to be obese.

The two overweight children I know both have parents that don't see it. One's family gave my Do a can of Fanta (her first!) When she was 5 and the other served up the most massive portion of pasta that I have ever seen a child being given.

Madey you sound like you have not read the thread, or are deliberately being obtuse.

It is all explained quite well in previous posts ( i did nit know about the over tall thing but have learned from this article www.patient.co.uk/doctor/obesity-in-children and up- thread)

I've seen comments saying "you should be able to see the ribs on children". My DD is 50th centile for BMI and you can't see her ribs. Is it really a target to be able to see every child's ribs?

I thought it was ribs when they raise their arms.

Hmm, I'll get her to show me tomorrow.

This is why we need to move to cm and waist to height ratio, there is argument with a tape measure

I really, really believe that anything that allows "boatderline" children to feel labelled or deprived compared to siblings can be very counterprofuctive long term - start yelling a child they ate a fatty befote they are 7, and whatever their BMI before that point (whether they are "actually" under weight, normal or ovetweight) they'll see themselves as overweight forever, with varying consequences, none of them good.

"Boarderline" obviously... phone...

But the kids don't know unless you tell them

Sorry but I'm laughing my head off at drinkingtea's typo!

"start yelling a child they ate a fatty befote they are 7"

Yeah that could have a severe consequence if you've been feeding your kids fat children for tea...

• start Telling a child they are a fatty before they turn 7 (is what I meant to write) and "telling" isn't always outright - kids notice if you suddenly give them a smaller plate than a same age or younger sibling, and "you're like me, you have to watch your weight" (unlike your sibling, who can have a cream egg... / slice of cake/ whole slice of toast... ) is an awful thing to say to a small child, setting the stage for a bad relationship with food...

My dd hads been 95th centile for hieght and wieght with no significant variation since she was born. She was a very long skinny baby and is now a very tall slim 2 year old with not a bit of squishiness on her. As other have mentioned you can clearly see her ribs (in fact I had been worrying a bit about that so am reassured a bit by this thread that she isn't wasting away).

I do find it hard to believe when people with tall chubby children use the 'but they are tall so in proportion' line. I agree with the op that people have lost sight of what 'in proportion' actually looks like. Dd is tall compared to most children I know her age but still skinnier then many of them!