Plus sized clothing for kids

[m4rdybum]

Not sure if this has been covered yet - not seen it but apologies if it has!

See the article here

It makes me sad that we live in a world where we need plus sized clothes for kids. I was hideously obese as a child - I had to see a dietician when I was 10 and was in size 18-20 clothes - and this was down to the fact that I was allowed to eat whatever I wanted.

I genuinely believe this has dramatically affected my relationship with food nowadays, and I blame my parents and grandparents.

When do we start cracking down on kids having more than just puppy fat?

Fruitcocktail6, some are on medication associated with weight gain, some are obsessive about food (my son tries to stuff food into his mouth when anxious) and the opportunities for exercise are far more limited when you are too anxious to leave the house and being around other people makes you distressed. Or the facilities you need such as appropriate changing facilities or quiet sessions are not provided. Or your learning or behavioural difficulties mean you cannot be given much physical freedom.

When do we start cracking down on kids having more than just puppy fat ?

Hi OP. My DD is 11 years old and 5ft 5. She is not overweight. We get plus size clothes in uniform for her HEIGHT, not her weight. We had such a kerfuffle getting her secondary school uniform, the regulations stated knee length. We ordered a women's skirt. It came up to her chest and refused point blank to wear it outside. I dont blame her. All the kid stuff looked like a belt on her instead of an actual skirt. We don't buy the plus size because she's overweight (she isn't) , we buy the range because it FITS her height.

DD is under a consultant where he height and weight is monitored for a certain condition, if her consultant is not worried, then neither am I.

Oh and where do we start? We start by teaching our children that food is fuel. Everything in moderation and the importance of play/exercise. That most low fat food is nothing but a marketing gimmick, and that the simple message to weight loss is just eat less, move more.

But whilst we've got companies removing juice for prevention ot childhood obesity purposes whilst still keeping their aisles of sweets and chocolate. We can't really have a sensible conversation.

I work with SN children and have done for years, I can't think of any who were overweight due their needs. Of course there are particular illnesses that cause weight gain, but they're not common.

It's not just about illnesses, such as Prader-Willi syndrome, there's medications too. Just because someone will be alright on steroids for example doesn't mean the next person isn't going to get the whole list of side effects full pelt from the same steroids.

I find it amazing the amount of parents of children who are "normal" weight who need to buy plus size clothes for their children. I do think in most (not all!) those cases it is going to sadly be a case of "heads in the sand"

I don't think it is wrong that places sell plus size clothes for children as they still need to be able to dress, but I do think it should be enough to make alarm bells ring and parents start looking at the situation from a more objective POV.

Well I'm happy because it will be easier to get trousers for my DS4 that fit over his nappy.

Sirzy she's a 5ft 5 11yo. If it was a case of heads in the sand I'm sure my DDs consultant would have said something by now. (They are renowned for not mincing their words).

I have to agree with the op. Extra roomy clothing is great for people who need it due to disability aids or those who are overweight due to health issues. But Next doesn't stock specialist items. They are stocking plus sized clothes because plus sized children are now the norm and a huge market for them. And the vast majority of overweight children are that way due to poor diet and a lack of exercise. Of course it is sad that so many children are inactive and eating so much junk these days resulting in poor health for them. I'm not sure why anyone would think that's a positive thing.

jon did you miss the big where I said "most (not all)" in my post?

We start by teaching our children that food is fuel
Really? I mean, yes, food IS fuel, but it's also (or should be) tasty, nourishing, sociable, fun..
Ino my world of family and close friends everybody cooks. Some are fantastic cooks. Not one is overweight interestingly. I love my food, and am teaching ds to cook, which has increased the number of different foods he will try, although that wasn't my intention.
I feel sorry for people who don't like food, and just see it as "fuel" because I think it's one of life's great pleasures.
I think when you grow up eating lovely vegetables, cooked well not just mush, and salads, fish, good bread etc you develop a taste for real food, and convenience food tastes rank in comparison. If you come home from work late, and you know you can do a nice omelette or a comforting bowl of pasta easily, then that's what you do.
The body reacts differently to real food and "non-food" and food that feeds the soul keeps you full longer (Imo )

Cook healthy meals and fill your fruit bowl. Lead by example. If I'm hungry in between meals I grab an apple and my kids do the same. You don't need to restrict food. If you don't buy junk the kids can't eat it.
That's not to say we don't have some popcorn/pic n mix at the cinema or puddling when we eat out but that's an occasional treat. Don't teach your kids that those sort of foods are part of your daily diet because they shouldn't be.

*My nearly 6 yr old is in age 8-9 clothes because she is curvy in bum and hips just like mummy.

She is not fat. The reason plus or generous cuts are needed is because the current cuts are just too skinny.*

A 'curvy' six year old? Has she gone through puberty?

I find it very difficult to find clothes to fit my slim child, just as my mother found it hard to find clothes to fit me. Looking at DS's school and comparing to my own (similar in size, socioeconomic range and location) and there is definitely a slight increase in larger children.

Going into the local city and there is a huge increase in larger children, pot bellies overhanging waistbands and breast tissue on boys and girls of a very young age aren't normal.

^Really? I mean, yes, food IS fuel, but it's also (or should be) tasty, nourishing, sociable, fun..
Ino my world of family and close friends everybody cooks.^

Yes really! Because that what it is. Ask any Athlete. Carbs before exercise, protein after etc etc.

I have a three PT friends who live by this rule. All within the 8-10stone range.

No Sirzy I didn't miss it I was simply replying.

PT friends..part time friends?
Jon but I'm not an athlete so that's OK then.

I do believe that one of the issues is that without slim/ plus ranges we have one cut for all kids of a similar height and that's not realistic.

I mean even on my slim toddler some t-shirts for his height range clearly don't fit as they're wide and short, but inexplicably have narrow arm holes so they're not even designed for chubbier kids. But I bet they fit other kids perfectly fine as they're very common.

I totally agree that we are our children's biggest role models so they will copy our eating habits so if we eat plenty of fruit and veg our kids will follow.

Spikeyball

Yes, of course. However some SN children being on medication is not the cause of the child obesity crisis. My point was that it is not so common that we can dismiss the issue because all the overweight kids must be on medication! That is simply not the case.

People talking about illness and nappies are missing the point. Obviously there are kids who will be overweight for those reasons.

My son's friend calls before school in the morning and without fail will be eating a packet or crisps or a bar of chocolate. 8am! He's obviously overweight. He's not alone either, you always see kids filling their faces with shite.

It's the fault of the parents. As a society we rightly font allow people to underfeed their kids yet people get a free pass when they cause their kids to be unhealthy by eating too much rubbish.

Any random grown up shop stocks something like 8-10 sizes (ie widths).

Why the shock horror that kids, like grown ups, also need different width? There are only three sizes as is, standard, slim fit, wide fit.

Otherwise all grown ups ought to slim down or fatten up to a size 12.

I have HUGE issues with food - I starved, binged and purged as a teen and binged for the next decade. I'm overweight and know it. DP also uses food for comfort.

I have a 16 month old and desperately want to avoid bad food relationships for him. His meals are home cooked and he has a well rounded diet BUT I refuse to give him refined sugar. He has fruit and honey and naturally sweet things regularly but I don't buy him cakes, don't give him chocolate or sweets etc.

The uproar from family has been ridiculous. From the start of his weaning till now his grandparents have literally been on a campaign to feed him custard and Victoria sponge. Honestly we've had rows about it. It's like I'm denying them their god given right to indulge him and that I'm depriving him of something vital.

Even friends with children get uppity about it.

Sugar is seen so much as a part of life now that if you don't want your child to have it you're seen as some sort of weirdo.

I also work in a school, and I can't count the number of times nursery parents pick up their children with a packet of haribo/ bar of chocolate etc ready for them at 11.30am. We also had to start charging and providing our own snack at snack time and banning people sending their own in because it was largely sugar filled rubbish.

Well @Gromance02 given that children are at school for a significant proportion of the day, why shouldn't schools be part of the solution. Especially as school meals are hardly healthy with dessert every single day.... sitting down for a huge part of the day is not good for anyone.

And where did I say that only schools have the responsibility

I have a 16 month old and desperately want to avoid bad food relationships for him. His meals are home cooked and he has a well rounded diet BUT I refuse to give him refined sugar. He has fruit and honey and naturally sweet things regularly but I don't buy him cakes, don't give him chocolate or sweets etc

Surely it is better to teach everything in moderation with lots of physical exercise.... there will come a day when you can't exercise this level of control and better to teach control than completely restrict a diet.

O yes let's blame overweight parents.
Well my family has just been on a healthy eating/exercise programme as Dd2 was overweight when measured in year 6.
Yes I am overweight but many of the parents weren't.

Believe that is the plan, we already do lots of physical exercise in toddler friendly distances/activities etc but with moderation comes realism and while he is small enough not to know the difference, why would I not give him a home made cake with no refined sugar in instead of a shop bought one with loads in?

Also, that sort of goes with the argument that used to properly wind me up from MIL - 'he's going to have it at school so why not just give it to him now?'

Erm because he's 6/9/12/15 months old and I don't want him having chocolate cake just because in four years time he might have some?