Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think my ds isnt overweight due to diet

224 replies

Hannahgirl · 20/05/2021 16:32

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

OP posts:
Foldinthecheese · 20/05/2021 19:40

*theyre, not their

My kingdom for an edit button. 🤦‍♀️

WiddlinDiddlin · 20/05/2021 19:42

It's just going round in circles if you can't say exactly what he eats in a day.

Photograph it and weigh what is put out for him, then weigh what he hasn't eaten when you clear up after each meal/snack.

Without doing that, there really isn't a way of helping you to help him.

AccidentallyOnPurpose · 20/05/2021 19:44

@Hannahgirl

He is that tall. So his weight is 4st 9 . My dd8 weighs less then him :(
If his height is correct then he isn't overweight at all. If he lost two stones , that would actually be worrying.

www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-weight/bmi-calculator/

Check his bmi on here.

berryhead2013 · 20/05/2021 19:44

Is he medicated for his asd the meds might cause weight gain???

Original poster
Hannahgirl · 20/05/2021 19:55

His height is 100% correct ive checked it a few times. Also im 5.7 and he comes up to my boobs. He is overweight according to the bmi calculator but not two stone overweight!! So the types of snanks he eats
Apples
Banana
Watermelon
Cheese
Pom bears
And cheese sandwich which i still think a few bites are a snack not a meal!!
At times he will eat plain pasta.

OP posts:
Original poster
Hannahgirl · 20/05/2021 19:56

He takes melatonin at night

OP posts:
ineedaholidaynow · 20/05/2021 19:58

Are you a tall family? He seems quite tall for his age

WiddlinDiddlin · 20/05/2021 19:59

So his diet is basically:
Sugar
Sugar
Sugar
Fat/protein
Sugar/carbs
Fat/protein/carbs

I can see why theres some concern over this diet, theres nowhere near enough protein, the only protein he is getting is coming from cheese.

babbaloushka · 20/05/2021 20:00

@WiddlinDiddlin

So his diet is basically: Sugar Sugar Sugar Fat/protein Sugar/carbs Fat/protein/carbs

I can see why theres some concern over this diet, theres nowhere near enough protein, the only protein he is getting is coming from cheese.

I thought this too.
CityCommuter · 20/05/2021 20:09

@Hannahgirl people are forgetting here that some children who have additional needs also have a slow metabolism so whatever they eat calories takes much longer to burn off... look it up, there is a proven link... I know of an 7 year old who has additional needs and nearly 3 stone overweight despite a controlled calorie intake of healthy food, no sugar etc not even from fruit, just vegetables and also constantly on the move - not at all a sedentary lifestyle...

Lougle · 20/05/2021 20:10

A cheese sandwich can easily have 500 calories.

GreyhoundG1rl · 20/05/2021 20:10

He is overweight according to the bmi calculator but not two stone overweight!!
Hold on! Why did you say he was??

StillMedusa · 20/05/2021 20:12

Looking at his stats he doesn't sound too big after all.. he is tall! And yes overweight children are usually taller too, but as his only started in the last year it sounds more like you are simply growing a big lad.
His mainstay diet sounds pretty classic to me (barring the watermelon..I'm impressed with that Grin. I recognise those foods as the staple diet of the majority of my current class!

However as he's 5 (if you are in England) he will also be offered a school dinner free every day. It might be worth checking if he ever has ANYTHING of it.. and make sure his lunch box comes home as it went.. all uneaten food inside so you can check what he's consumed. 'Didn't eat any lunch' might not include ' tried a bite of the pastry of the school sausage roll and 3 chips stolen from another child's plate.'

Where I have worked for the last 16 years we really do write exactly what they to eat in the diaries . Incuding any munching on the playdough, glue sticks (what IS it with gluesticks.. they taste vile but so many children like to take a bite?!)

Also fruit is great.. but how much? My youngest also has autism and for many years had a very limited diet. When we found he would eat an apple.. fab! But when he got big enough to reach the apples himself he would just keep eating them.. I'm talking getting through a bag a day which wasn't good for his stomach or his teeth! He's now nearly 24 and has just moved on to include pears :) He's verbal, but still unable to regulate his own food intake.. would happily live on toast (with no butter) tons of apples and icecream (which makes me a very non judgemental TA... I KNOW what it's like to live with an autistic eater!) and I still monitor what he can help himself to for this reason. He's now 6 ft and 11 stone 9 which is spot on, but it could easily go wrong with just a few extra snacks.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 20/05/2021 20:15

He is overweight according to the bmi calculator but not two stone overweight!!

But that's what you said in your very first post ... ?

AccidentallyOnPurpose · 20/05/2021 20:16

@Puzzledandpissedoff

He is overweight according to the bmi calculator but not two stone overweight!!

But that's what you said in your very first post ... ?

I was told this at a medical appointment.

From OP

Bubby2997 · 20/05/2021 20:16

My son is autistic op. When he was little he hardly ate anything but he was never skinny - it was odd. Hv's always told me he was a little overweight. He must have ate enough without me realising what he actually consumed, he was never 'fat' but stocky. He didn't like meals either. What's his height and weight? I am unsure what weight he was at a young age but he's 10 now and 140cm and 6 stone. Not skinny but not huge either.

Dd in comparison is 4 stone. Probably a lot heavier than most of her peers but she is over 120cm tall so she's taller than most of them too.

Both of mine are quite broad, definitely not built skinny but not massive either.

Redburnett · 20/05/2021 20:23

2 stone is a massive amount at age 5. Please do not ignore it.

Dishwashersaurous · 20/05/2021 20:23

Did the doctor who said he was two stone overweight, your opening remark, know how tall he is. Or just going off the average height?

hunneylove · 20/05/2021 20:23

What are you looking for here OP?
@StillMedusa has taken the time to give a really considered and thought-provoking response (when I'm sure they have better things to do) but you still insist snacking on XYX doesn't count - so what is the "correct answer" to your query?

lljkk · 20/05/2021 20:35

Result I got. I dunno. Real question is why lad isn't 2 stone underweight if he eats as little as OP said.

To think my ds isnt overweight due to diet
Original poster
Hannahgirl · 20/05/2021 20:43

Just to clear things up. Today the doctor weighed and measured him. After which he told me he was 2 stone overweight. Thats wrong. I have no idea why i was told that but will contact them tomorrow.

OP posts:
Original poster
Hannahgirl · 20/05/2021 20:46

@hunneylove

What are you looking for here OP? *@StillMedusa* has taken the time to give a really considered and thought-provoking response (when I'm sure they have better things to do) but you still insist snacking on XYX doesn't count - so what is the "correct answer" to your query?
No i didn't just his food intake doesn't amount to being 2 stone overweight. Which i was right. The doctor fucked up today
OP posts:
TheSoapyFrog · 20/05/2021 20:46

Has he had genetic tests done? My son is 6 and also has severe autism. He has a genetic variation called SETD1B and one of the characteristics is a large stature. Just yesterday we were at the paediatricians because my son has had several massive growth spurts. He now weighs 7.4 stone and is 4ft 2". He has a very balanced diet (which is unusual for autistic children) and is on the go all the time. He has now been referred to an endocrinologist to see if he has a hormone imbalance.

Original poster
Hannahgirl · 20/05/2021 20:47

@StillMedusa

Looking at his stats he doesn't sound too big after all.. he is tall! And yes overweight children are usually taller too, but as his only started in the last year it sounds more like you are simply growing a big lad. His mainstay diet sounds pretty classic to me (barring the watermelon..I'm impressed with that Grin. I recognise those foods as the staple diet of the majority of my current class!

However as he's 5 (if you are in England) he will also be offered a school dinner free every day. It might be worth checking if he ever has ANYTHING of it.. and make sure his lunch box comes home as it went.. all uneaten food inside so you can check what he's consumed. 'Didn't eat any lunch' might not include ' tried a bite of the pastry of the school sausage roll and 3 chips stolen from another child's plate.'

Where I have worked for the last 16 years we really do write exactly what they to eat in the diaries . Incuding any munching on the playdough, glue sticks (what IS it with gluesticks.. they taste vile but so many children like to take a bite?!)

Also fruit is great.. but how much? My youngest also has autism and for many years had a very limited diet. When we found he would eat an apple.. fab! But when he got big enough to reach the apples himself he would just keep eating them.. I'm talking getting through a bag a day which wasn't good for his stomach or his teeth! He's now nearly 24 and has just moved on to include pears :) He's verbal, but still unable to regulate his own food intake.. would happily live on toast (with no butter) tons of apples and icecream (which makes me a very non judgemental TA... I KNOW what it's like to live with an autistic eater!) and I still monitor what he can help himself to for this reason. He's now 6 ft and 11 stone 9 which is spot on, but it could easily go wrong with just a few extra snacks.

I wish you worked at ds school you sound great and your 100% right
OP posts:
MisdemeanourOnTheFloor · 20/05/2021 20:51

This will sound bizarre, but I was once told I was obese, face to face, by a nurse at 5ft 8 and 124 pounds. When I pointed out she'd entered my height as 4ft 8 (as I was staring at her BMI calculator in disbelief!) she casually said, oh yeah, and corrected it. Maybe double check they haven't done the same, especially if it wasn't a face to face appt...