to think this BMI calculator is bollocks?

[onemiddlefinger]

I'm not particularly concerned with my DS's weight but just after reading another thread I went and checked the NHS BMI calculator and apparently he is VERY OVERWEIGHT!!!

He certainly is big but he is also very tall for his age (2yrs 3 mnts), when recently seeing a pediatrician (for another reason) I did ask if there is anything we should be worried about regarding his size (way over the 99th percentile in weight and height for his age) and she assured that he was in proportion and he was fine. So how do these BMI calculators work?
I find this result to be a bit shocking and complete bollocks at the same time.

My dd has always been very tall (tallest or second tallest in a class of 30) but not overweight and her periods started at what I think is an average age - 11 and a half.

Yes sounds average to me Mintyy. Its like one of those riddles, not all tall children are overweight, but lots of overweight children are tall . I have a tall slim DS myself.

I don't think its massively concerning if a 2 year old is a little way into overweight territory as long as they are eating well and getting enough exercise - some toddlers do take a little longer than others to lose their baby fat. Its a "keep an eye on it" situation not something that requires drastic action.

However all the people saying that as long as their children are on the same percentile for height and weight then they're ok are quite wrong - children whose weight is over the 99th percentile are quite likely to be overweight almost regardless of height.

we were told the bmi was crap by my sons pead neurologist.
when we last visited him ds was weighed and height taken , according to the chart on the wall ,he was 2 stone over what he should be.
obviously i asked ,and was shown his previous weights on a graph(started age 2) and he was following a line - thats all he was worried about- it showed he was growing at the right rate .
my son is active plays rugby ,football,swims ,always playing on bike/scooter
hes just chunky.
but now hes 11 and started to shoot up he look less and less chunky iykwim.

If you use your eyes and 100% honesty, you wont need a bmi calculator.

If you find yourself describing your child as 'big' 'big boned' 'chunky' 'sturdy' 'has puppy fat' or is 'due a growth spurt'....the chances are they are overweight.

children whose weight is over the 99th percentile are quite likely to be overweight almost regardless of height.

I suppose this is why the BMI calculator gave the result it did, perhaps this weight is always considered overweight.

I said in the OP that I'm not particularly concerned, but I agree that for me to check it there was/is a small concern.

The pediatrician did measure and weigh him, and then traced it on the chart, rather than just looking at him, she also did say that he seems to be following a line, it's not something that has just changed recently, he was already born big and tall.

I do agree that it's probably something to keep an eye on, and perhaps limit sugary foods/snacks, although he really doesn't have much of these anyway, and what he does have is at the nursery (often cake for pudding etc).
Thankfully he loves fruit so this is his main snack and also "biscuits" which are actually wholegrain cereal bars with minimal sugar. He does like his milk though so I suppose I could try to cut down in that or perhaps swap to skimmed.
He is already very active and we have stopped using the pushchair several months ago, so he does quite a bit of walking.

not really worra ,my other 2 sons look like like starving urchins with long gangly limbs ,no fat anywhere . according to bmi -they are perfect weight -i think they look in need of a good meal.(they are extremely fit/healthy and have enormous appetites.
imo ds 11 2 stone overweight (according to bmi)looks healthier than the older ones who are normal weight according to bmi.

There's an easy way to tell whether your child is overweight or not - until they go through puberty you should be able to see their ribs, because any child should be growing too fast to put that kind of covering on. So if you can't see them, they eat too much/exercise too little and are overweight. As confirmed to me by a doctor!

^my other 2 sons look like like starving urchins with long gangly limbs ,no fat anywhere . according to bmi -they are perfect weight -i think they look in need of a good meal.(they are extremely fit/healthy and have enormous appetites.
imo ds 11 2 stone overweight (according to bmi)looks healthier than the older ones who are normal weight according to bmi.^

^^ is a prime example of how our perception has been skewed. We think that the 'overweight' child is the one who looks normal and the children who are correct weights look underfed. I love this image of how our perception has changed since the 70's.

he loves fruit so this is his main snack and also "biscuits" which are actually wholegrain cereal bars with minimal sugar. He does like his milk though so I suppose I could try to cut down in that or perhaps swap to skimmed

But fruit is high in sugars (so that has to be limited) and I suspect "low sugar" cereal bars are too. Cereal is just more carbs. I certainly wouldn't cut down on milk nor would I change to skimmed for a toddler - he's at least getting protein and calcium from milk.

Fat in foods isn't what makes people fat, from what I understand - it's sugar/ cake/biscuits/cereals we need to avoid.

Overfed children do often also become overtall, so yes, even if your DC is in proportion, they can still be receiving too many calories.

However, even allowing for height, your DC is still on the 99% centile, this is surely a cause for alarm and immediate action?

DD was off the charts for height and 99th for weight and her BMI was on the lower end of normal. Unless his weight is out of proportion for his height, I don't know how the calculator would have come out as very overweight.

enb76
ds11 body shape is like 1971 photo,you dont have to look large to be heavy.
are you a qualified pediatrician?
seeing as my son and posters son has been seen by paediatricians who have specifically said theres no problem with weight - im inclined to believe them.

My dd takes after her dad (narrow frame and athlete-fit) and I have just been fiddling around with a BMI calculator, my curiosity having been raised after reading this thread. She is in the normal range for age/height/weight and could put on - wait for it - 22kg and still be in the normal range. That's 3 and a half stone - nearly 50 percent more than she weighs now!

"I always thought a person's height was determined by the genes of their parents, not by being overfed."

About 80% of height as well as 80% of weight is down to genetics.

It really is not as simple as another poster suggest that overnutrition leads to a taller child.

Obesity in children can cause early puberty so they have their growth spurt early and can look tall in comparison with their peers.

Sometimes though the bones can stop growing (premature epiphyseal fusion) so they end up as short adults.

You can use the bmi calculator in a different way - if your dc is much taller/shorter than average, see what age they would be if their height was on 50th centile and use that age instead.

wfrances
enb76
ds11 body shape is like 1971 photo,you dont have to look large to be heavy

This is exactly what posters mean by perceptions are skewed. I haven't seen your DS wfrances so I cant comment on him specifically and I don't mean you any offence, but imo the old Gloop from the 1971 pic looks large. And possibly overweight. These days that look is considered normal, that's the skew people are talking about.

I personally think our idea of normal is skewed as so many children are now overweight. Have you tried increasing his height into the bmi calculator to see if it still says he's overweight?

I was worried about my ds becoming overweight and used the calculator and it told me he was in the upper end of normal. I've since increased his activity level and it's well within the normal range now.

You could post a pic of him and obscure his face if you want a mn opinion.

I also think it sounds as though your idea of what a fit and healthy child should look like, might be a bit skewed wfrances.

Children should be lean enough for their hip, rib and collar bones to be visible.

If it helps i did my 2yos bmi calculation and it came up she was overweight but then i did it again a month later (after a little growth spurt) and she was fine. Far too much emphasis on weight at two in my opinion

worra- oh of course -ill just ignore the specialist treating my child and listen to mumsnet!

Of course BMI takes into account height
duh
its the relationship between height and weight to give a proxy for body fat

This BMI calculator
nccd.cdc.gov/dnpabmi/Calculator.aspx
is specifically for children.

If you cannot see your child's ribs when they bend over forwards, they are overweight.

Sounds like the OP's child is overweight anyway. She says herself "he certainly is big"