To think we’ve lost sight of what a healthy child’s weight should be?

[Winniethepoohandtiggertoo]

Walking through town today as kids were leaving school and I was quite shocked by the size of them (primary kids). But then I noticed that so many of them were overweight that in a way it isn’t surprising that maybe their parents haven’t noticed or realised there is a problem? When I was little kids were skinny things, now it seems the norm for them to be built like shot-putters! I know a few parents with overweight children but they insist they’re ‘strong’ or ‘solid’, or ‘they run around so much they just burn it off’. When so many kids look like theirs it probably isn’t surprising they think that?

@Aria999

I used to be solid and am now slim myself.

and to go from “solid” to slim… what did you do?

@Whatislove82 I discovered the eating plan in the book 'why we eat too much' by Andrew jenkinson.

Which is basically a protein and fat rich, not-very-carb-heavy diet with very little sugar, and avoiding processed food and vegetable oils.

So I eat lots of cheese and remain slim but donuts and crisps are a No.

Unfortunately the DCs won't eat cheese or vegetables so I do my best with Greek yogurt, fruit, no sugary drinks, no crisps except on special occasions, not much candy.

They do get cookies.

on this thread you used to be “solid”

on another thread you used to “noticeably overweight”

sort of proves the point some of us are making re what they think when they see people describe themselves as “solid”!

Let me guess

the cookies are home made

@Whatislove82

Nope

Someone up thread mentioned Augustus Gloop as an example of how views of what is obese have changed. I've attached the pic. Apologies if it's posted already - it's a long thread I've just scanned.

Wow, my first 'another thread' gotcha!

I have always been a healthy weight for my size.

When I am at the top end of that range, I hate the way I look, and think I look overweight.

Difference context.

However I can see that if 'solid' is a common euphemism for being actually overweight then it was a poor choice of word on my part, as that wasn't what I meant.

My son's 'scrawny' apparently but he's actually about 80 percentile on height, 50th on weight and fit as he plays several sports. e just has some massive, rugby sized friends who seem huge to me.
My daughter is 'solid' I've been told, but her height and weight are about the same percentile and again she plays competitive sport.
I find it interesting that people are saying he's small for 13 and she's big for 11 when in fact they're both about right and neither. Again, she seems to have some massive friends, tall, broad. Adult sized at 11.

Kids are deffo bigger than when I was a kid - for all sorts of reasons.

Totally relevant though.

on here “solid”

Last week “noticeably overweight” 😂

I think your point is that I am myself using 'solid' to mean 'looks overweight' without realizing?

Well more likely that you were overweight and was being honest on the other thread

but you have described it on this thread as “solid” when actually… see above

Yes correct

Solid is very often a euphemism for overweight but in denial

@Whatislove82

🤷‍♀️ I had a bmi of 23.7 and highly negative body image. Also an undesirable amount of stomach flab.

I can't find or remember the post of mine you are referencing but I can believe it!

Anyway point taken, sort of.

It sounds like you’re in a good place now though which is 👍

@Whatislove82 thank you.

On a separate point, inspired by this thread I was trying to look up what is a healthy BMI for kids and was surprised to find it seems to be all relative.

So the CDC will tell you (we are in America) that if your child's BMI is over the 85th percentile they are overweight but not give an actual number range.

I suppose it's because different kids are very different heights or something but I do find that odd. What if all the other kids are overweight?