To think my ds isnt overweight due to diet

[Hannahgirl]

2nd post within a day !!
Hi my son 5 has severe asd and hes literally on the go all the time he never sits still for a sec. He never eats breakfast lunch or dinner. His snacks tend to be fruit or a sandwich etc. Hes overweight by 2 stone.
He is a very tall boy. Aibu

Snacking is far harder to account for in terms of nutrients vs calories, even though you might think many are healthy snacks there are probably others that aren't so good. Plus irregular eating patterns don't help.

I can't see how an extra two stone on a five year old could fail to make the child look fat, no matter how tall they were.

OP you do realise you'll never get objective replies to a question like this on MN. Some people on here only have to see the word 'overweight' and it's like a red rag to a bull.

@iminthegarden

Snacking is far harder to account for in terms of nutrients vs calories, even though you might think many are healthy snacks there are probably others that aren't so good. Plus irregular eating patterns don't help.

That was exactly my point. I agree.

If they've suggested a food diary then why aren't you doing so? You need to have paper / a whiteboard handy in the kitchen and literally note down everything that goes in his mouth each day. It's a bit worrying your initial response was that you weren't sure what he's eaten today. If he is this overweight, especially if you say it's escalated quickly, then you should be more focused than ever on having a record of what he is eating. I appreciate you have loads on but this sounds like it needs addressing ASAP.

@Dishwashersaurous

an average six year old weighs about three stone.

If he's two stone overweight. Then he's five stone and clearly incredibly overweight.

The only thing that you can do is write down exactly everything he ears, weighing if possible.

And let the doctors do investigations

If he doesn't look fat, maybe he isn't. Weight alone is not a measure. Does he have free access to food, is he able to eat without you knowing he has? The fact that he snacks, means he isn't hungry to have a proper meal. If you try and promote him to eat more protein which will fill him up more and control his blood sugar, he will be less inclined to snack and he won't eat so often. However if he always snacks on high carbohydrate foods, this will encourage weight gain. Sugary drinks like juice do more harm than good and should never be part of a healthy diet. Eat the whole fruit, don't drink the juice.

How active is he?

Make sure you check his height. Most HCPs will weigh quite accurately but may not get such a good height reading unless it's done properly with one of those fixed rolly tape measures.

Admittedly a while ago but all my midwife appointments weighed me very carefully but took my word for it what my height was so it could easily have been wrong (especially if I'd given it in imperial and they'd converted to metric)

If he doesn't look fat, maybe he isn't. Weight alone is not a measure.

People are often crap at identifying when others are fat or not.

A child of 5 and one with autism can't regulate their own food intake so you need to do it and create a sensible routine.

Easier said than done, as I’m sure you’ll agree with all your experience, JinglingHellsBells, yes?

Did they weight him properly?? Did they actually say he’s over by two stone?

Are you sure the doctor said 2 stone overweight?

@ElfridaEtAl

A child of 5 and one with autism can't regulate their own food intake so you need to do it and create a sensible routine.

Easier said than done, as I’m sure you’ll agree with all your experience, JinglingHellsBells, yes?

Is any parenting easy?

This thread is full or OP bashing, some comments are very rude.

Why you are picking on me for suggesting- as others have- that trying to move away from snacking and creating more structure is a bad thing, beggars belief. I am not the only poster to suggest this.

Many people don't recognise what overweight looks like these days.

JinglingHellsBells i feel like i have ti defend you here. Yes we are getting help with that important life skill including a special chair that may help. He can learn it.

And i didn't take offense by that valid point

Medical reasons for a noticeable weight gain (not due to over eating) :

Fluid retention (oedema) severe oedema also causes breathlessness and can be an indicator of kidney or heart issues.

Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid) symptoms include tiredness, puffy face, hoarse voice, weight gain and starting puberty early in children.

Endogenous Cushing's syndrome; causing unusually high levels of cortisone hormone. Fat in the chest, face and stomach is a symptom.

Be completely honest with your consultant and push for more tests if his diet hasn't changed but he's suddenly gained weight in the last 12 months.

How tall is he and how much does he weigh? He needs to see a paediatrician if he barely eats. Lack of nutrition will stunt his growth.

My March born 6 year old is 4 stone 6lb 124 cm height 99th centile with a big head his school pals are shoulder height. He is chunky, tall too he looks 8.
@Hannahgirl is he tall?

Isn't it true that snacking is the way most people gain weight? Little tiny bites can add up very quickly. Meals sound more impressive but are not always as high in calories (or sugar).

We can't tell if there is a medical reason for this - of course.

If you are really sure about the food - do push to get attention on this.

I honestly don’t know but I remember watching Katie Price’s documentary about her son Harvey. She said in that that the reason he is big is because of a hormone disorder. Katie and the rest of her family are very slim build so Harvey is obviously very different from the rest of his household. Has anything like this been investigated?

Ive just taken his height which is 4ft 4.

@chestnutshell

I honestly don’t know but I remember watching Katie Price’s documentary about her son Harvey. She said in that that the reason he is big is because of a hormone disorder. Katie and the rest of her family are very slim build so Harvey is obviously very different from the rest of his household. Has anything like this been investigated?

Harvey has Prader-Willi syndrome and I think it's the insatiable hunger (bless him, it must be so unbelievably tough to feel that way all the time) so it is still caused by intake I believe.

"An unrelenting feeling of hunger is common. A person with Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS) has extreme difficulty controlling their body weight, as they spend a long time eating and have a powerful compulsion to eat as much food as possible. PWS is the most common genetic cause of morbid obesity in children."

I think if OP's little boy is two stone overweight at his age, anything and everything should be explored for sure. Even PW syndrome can only cause the hunger (in my understanding, sorry if I'm wrong) that then leads to the eating that causes the weight gain.

A sandwich isn't a snack.

@Hannahgirl

Ive just taken his height which is 4ft 4.

What age clothes is he in? iirc that's about average height for a 7-8yo. If you put his age as 7-8yo in the bmi calculator and his current weight and height how overweight is he?

When I have a sandwich, I call that lunch, not a snack.