To be upset with NHS over DDs weight?

[Fudgefudgefudge]

DD is 4 and is in reception. Recently she had her vision, hearing, weight etc measured at school and yesterday I received a letter from the NHS saying that they are referring her to Morelife. Having googled it I'm mortified, I had no idea my child was that overweight! I checked the NHS site which measures their BMI and using the measurements they provided it shows DD being obese and on the 99th percentile

Now I breastfed DD up until her 1st birthday and she was a big baby back then but over the years she's slimmed up if you know what I mean and to me she just doesn't look overweight. She has a healthy appetite and I am well aware of how to eat a healthy balanced diet etc but I do allow a treat for good behaviour. And DD is a very active, she would rather run than walk and I don't drive so she's used to walking places.

AIBU to be upset about this? What do I do? Ask the GP their opinion? It's made me doubt my abilities as a mother as I never even considered she could be obese.

Hang on. There's a blatant misunderstanding about centiles here. As long as a child is on the centile chart they're within expected tolerances. In a group of 100 children you would always have a child that was the heaviest but one.

Being off the top of the chart may be of concern, but sounds like this has been very dumbed down.

So mini you still convinced bf prevents obesity then?

My dc's weight is linked to their specific difficulties. My ds is autistic and eats compulsively as a response to stress. My 17 year old dd is mentally ill and her disordered eating is linked to her PTSD and personality disorder.

My middle child has no developmental or mental health issues and is built like a toothpick. :-)

The fear, horror and outright denial you come across on mumsnet in relation to childhood obesity is depressing. I think there are some people here who think that fat kids are horrifying.

If you want advice why not put her weight and height in your post? It could be a mistake or it could be you need some advice for her to slim down a bit. Either way she sounds happy and active and it will be ok.

My DD is 121cm and has only turned 5. I know she is very tall, she has a very tall father. Yes she weighs more than the average 5yr old, but she is taller. I have asked friends and they say she isn't overweight. They say, she is so tall it's bound to skew the results.

From the red book, 121cm at 5 is the 99.6th centile. I can't see anything wrong with that. The expectation is that a just 5 year old girl would measure between 96cm and 121cm. Anything outside of that might merit some discussion, but it's certainly part of the normal range otherwise.

They're chubby, not dying

Except for the diabetes type 2 epidemic that's going to hit these children...

nolingersurprised am I not correct I never thinking that BMI charts are based on adults and not children? In which case, for growing children, they're not accurate and give a false outcome.

i refused to have my children weighed at school. I don't think it's a very positive way of supporting children in lifestyle management. I agree with schools teaching sensible lessons regarding dietary needs and exercise but actually making small, vulnerable kids line up and get weighed is demoralising.

The local school nurse called me when I first refused and I told them my thoughts. Plus, they both had regular hoisptal appointments and so I knew what they weighed and altered their diets accordingly.

I have to say, having a child very underweight, as I have, gets zilch help at all from children's services. At school in lessons, they only focus on reducing food to not get obese.....for my selective eating DS who is at risk of anorexia, telling him to eat less fat isn't helpful at all.

It was on the news yesterday that 1 in 3 kids are now leaving primary school, overweight or obese.

I'd want to know how they're defining obese and overweight.

The BMI charts for children are not based on adults.

hecantbeserious you tell that to all the people we meet who feel the need to comment on her height.

"So mini you still convinced bf prevents obesity then?"

I'm sensible enough not to make up my mind on epidemiological matters the basis of two children or on anecdotal evidence.

But on a personal note, I'm really grateful that in the first few months of their lives, when my children's bodies and brains were developing fast, they were fed an optimal diet. I've continued to give them fresh good quality food in adult life, so I've always been consistent.

hecantbeserious you tell that to all the people we meet who feel the need to comment on her height.

My niece is incredibly tall (also 5). Her mother is 6ft and her father 6ft 6' so it doesn't come as much of a surprise!

"Talk about drip feeding. Why didn't you say this in your first post instead of making out your DC had out weight on after starting secondary school?"

They were both normal weight until leaving primary.

I posted the second comment a couple of minutes after my first.

Put your axe away. No need to grind it on this thread.

I'm not sure why people say that their children are measured as obese by NHS because they're tall?? Surely they also measure height and take that into account too.
My Ds is really exceptionally tall (above the top of the centile charts and has been since he was a baby), he is average build and we didn't get a letter when he was checked. If they had looked at his weight in isolation I'm sure he would have appeared overweight.

"but actually making small, vulnerable kids line up and get weighed is demoralising."

It's not done like this.

If parents aren't aware that their child isn't a healthy weight they won't know to make changes at home.

And the evidence suggests that most parents whose children are overweight aren't aware of the fact.

That must be a real shock for you, OP.

I am sure wherever she's been referred to will advise you further.

I'm overweight and definitely don't want my children to have a problem with weight. My DD1 who is 3 is pretty slim to be honest, but DD2 is quite chunky but she's nearly 9 months and mostly breastfed and a bit of solids so not exactly overfed but she's losing the weight now she's crawling about.

Best of luck.

3boys not all counties, I believe, send out letters.
Derbyshire was the first I think.....around the time I was going to DD weighed.....when I refused due to a mother in Derbyshire getting the letter which her child saw, saying she was obese!

"Except for the diabetes type 2 epidemic that's going to hit these children..."

The majority of overweight children don't get diabetes. Or adults. And those who do often manage it well and don't end up dying from it.

It's a shock. But it's good you feel worried because if there is a problem you'll address it.

Do you feel comfortable putting the height/weight here so a MNer who knows about this stuff can help and explain?

Children do go through stages though. My ds was in 75th venture for height/weight until he got to about 4/5 yo. Then height and weight slowly went down charts but his height remained at 50th and his weight went down to 33rd. So they became concerne d about underweight.
He soon evened out again though.

Just looking at DD's red book. She's bounced from 91st centile at birth to 75th, to 50th to just above the 9th then back to 50th, 75th, then 50th over the years to her school check aged 5.

Her length at birth was 99.6th centile and she's been measured at 91st, 75th, 50th, 25th and then 50th at her school check.

It's not an exact science by any means.

How are they weighed and measured then mini?
Even if they're going into a room on their own, at age 4, they are being taken from their classroom by a stranger (nurse) and weighed.

Rather than putting emphasis on weight, it should be about health.
I don't beelive school should be the place for anything like vaccinations or weighing etc....it should be done at the health centre/GP surgery if it's done. But that's just my opinion.

Navyandwhite - why are you being so nasty and personal to me?

Have I offended you?