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AIBU?

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Original poster

school nurse letter

495 replies

devonshiredumpling · 14/02/2015 18:42

got a letter this morning rom the schoolnurse service to say that after being weighed my dd has been catergorised as severely overweight. we also got a leaflet saying that her diet could be better (she has at least seven portion of friut and veg) we also need to increase her activity level but since moving to the country we cannot get her out of the garden and off her bike ,she is tall for her age at 122.8 cm and she weighs 29.9kg but you cannot see any fat on her she is five .any help would be good aibu to feel peeved about this (she is five and half)

OP posts:
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tobysmum77 · 15/02/2015 15:04

this is exactly where it gets confusing and why you need proper advice from a dietician. My five year old has adult sized dinners but weighs only 19kg(!)

Idefix · 15/02/2015 15:05

Sorry for the typos...

codandchipstwice · 15/02/2015 15:08

Honestly your GP can take a far more holistic view than any of us can and will be able to advise/refer as appropriate

Idefix · 15/02/2015 15:10

A 5yr old shouldn't be eating the same amount that you eat as you (adult portion). Just as with adult dieters a large plate calls out to be filled up, by using a small plate it is easier to put out require smaller portion for a small child who needs less calories than an adult. Hope that helps to explain it better toby. As others have said weight gain is always caused by excess calorie intake compared to the amount needed by the body. The only exception is relatively rare cases of metabolic/endocrine disorders.

Mistigri · 15/02/2015 15:11

UK brand clothes are often generously-sized and not necessarily a good guide to healthy weight.

Kids who are a bit heavy despite a reasonably healthy diet are usually just eating too much at each meal. A lot of people automatically dish up portions that would be more suitable for an adult, and if your child is one of those who automatically clears her plate then that can lead to weight gain. Some children are good at stopping eating when they've had enough, but not all are.

Not letting kids ever get hungry is a problem too - I have a friend who has always been very anxious about her (previously normal weight) son going hungry - the result is that he's now at 11 quite overweight despite being fairly fussy and not a big eater at mealtimes. If this might be the case for your daughter, try cutting down on grazing between meals (even "healthy" grazing).

Madamecastafiore · 15/02/2015 15:14

Op what are the seven portions of fruit and veg a day? Are you talking 3 bananas, a tin of baked beans, a carton of orange juice, portion of grapes and some mash?

Madamecastafiore · 15/02/2015 15:19

Regardless of how much she had the foods you list are basically shit. Pizza, cake, ice cream, sausages.

I would only expect my kids to eat this sort of thing in one day if they had attended a party.

JudgeRinderSays · 15/02/2015 15:20

your DD did not get to that size on fresh air nor did she on eating vegetables.

britnay · 15/02/2015 15:22

I'm an adult, and that would be too much for me.

Idefix · 15/02/2015 15:24

Op did say party food - guessing dd did go to a party...what with the party food and two hours of soft play.
Clearly dd has been over fed over the years but now wants support on helping dd to be a healthier weight.

Haggismcbaggis · 15/02/2015 15:24

A heads up that sugar is most likely the problem. Full fat dairy is actually better for us all. Bran flakes are a really really sugary cereal. They shouldn't be allowed to be promoted as healthy imho.
The only cereals that are low-sugar are weetabix or porridge.
You could try Davina's book about giving up sugar in 5 weeks and you'd see a massive difference. To see if food is high sugar - check is there more than 5g per 100g of sugar as carbohydrate in the contents. Aim for that by and large (with the exception of dairy which the first 5g is "free" as its lactose) and avoid really sugary fruit like bananas - and her weight will improve.
Be really careful of "low fat" foods. They are often loaded with added sugar. Try and up her protein too.

Good luck.

JudgeRinderSays · 15/02/2015 15:25

Not letting kids ever get hungry is a problem too

I don't agree with that at all.I think wildly fluctuating blood sugar levels are a big factor in over eating.

Haggismcbaggis · 15/02/2015 15:26

Oh - and avoid fruit juice and smoothies. Fruit should only be eaten as nature intended. The number of people who think there is some health-giving properties in a big glass of Tropicana Hmm

tobysmum77 · 15/02/2015 15:35

Idefix that is nonsense, children are supposed to have nearly the same number of calories as adults. Not overweight adults, no but normal weight adults.

insanityscratching · 15/02/2015 15:36

rowgtfc my dd is 12 next week, well into puberty, she's 7cm taller than your dd and 7lbs lighter she's at the lower end of a normal weight but in no way skinny as she has boobs and hips. I'd say that your dd is overweight as the charts say regardless of what the school nurse thinks.

Rowgtfc72 · 15/02/2015 15:36

This was the point I was making earlier about my dd. Her stats make her come out as obese. This is why I took her to a healthcare proffessional. She said she wasn't. Its alright us all advising and suggesting but what the op needs is a dietician/ nurse who can assess and advise medically.

IsabellaofFrance · 15/02/2015 15:37

Its quite a lot of sugar OP.

Are you sure you are not underestimating what she is eating?

CaptainHolt · 15/02/2015 15:39

If you are having 3 balanced meals a day then you shouldn't be having 'wildly fluctuating blood sugar' unless there is something medically wrong with you. It's fine to be hungry sometimes.
I remember dcs who I met at toddle group who always had a something in their mouths and would constantly be mithering their mothers for more food. Some of them were given chocolate hobnobs and fruit shoots and some were given carrot sticks and organix rice cakes but 10 years down the line they are almost all still constantly snacking and are almost all fat.

tobysmum77 · 15/02/2015 15:45

But if you feed your dc off side plates then they probably are constantly hungry captain.....

Haggismcbaggis · 15/02/2015 15:45

I agree Captainholt. It's become a modern phenomenon this idea that we can't go longer than 30mins without eating something.

tobysmum77 · 15/02/2015 15:47

and that to not give a child food the second they tell you they are hungry is wrong. Some people visibly panic when a child is a bit peckish.

Idefix · 15/02/2015 16:01

The reason a side plate is recommended is as a result of many people having very large plates. Plates have got bigger over the years - google or talk to dietician about this they will happily, on the whole wax lyrical on how difficult it is to get portion sizes right on a huge plate.

But don't let me stop you pp with your helpful suggestions for the op, clearly you know far better about children's diets.
Op don't stop with bananas but do watch out for sugars, especially in drinks and yogurts and the like - hides in many things including healthy snacks such as flapjacks, cereal bars, smoothies.

Pipbin · 15/02/2015 16:03

A large amount of the children I see being picked up at school are handed sweets or crisps.
Children should be allowed to be hungry and bored on occasion too, though not at the same time ideally.

Sirzy · 15/02/2015 16:06

Children should be allowed to be hungry and bored on occasion too, though not at the same time ideally.

And I wonder how often "hunger" is actually bordom?

Pipbin · 15/02/2015 16:08

A very good point. I know I eat when I'm bored.

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