To think that at 5'8, 9 stone is not overweight, for children or adults?

[randomusername03]

Took ds (12) to gp earlier in the week, to be absolutly crucified for him being overweight. In front of ds no less. Which Im probably more annoyed at, he has asd eating difficulties enought without restricting his food anymore. But I genuinely dont look at him and see him as overweight. Hes not a skinny thing but hes not overweight neither imo. Im 5'9, if i dropped to 9 stone (I wish, havent been that weight since i was at school) people would question whether I was anorexic. Or have I turned into one of these mothers that genuinely cant see when their kids are overweight?

Sounds very slim to me but what did the GP actually say?

Bizarre. Your Gp sounds very ignorant. Your lad is entering pubity and lads usually have a complete body change as do girls.

It doesn't sound excessive, but I wonder if the GP was talking about exercise etc? It is possible to be flabby at that weight (unfortunately I would know )

Does he show many signs of having gone through puberty?

Has he always been really tall?

Sometimes height can be an indicator that a child is overweight.

ds was overweight. specifically overweight and proceeded to grill me on what he eats on a daily basis. aghast that he gets an apple juice in his pack lunch (its 150ml tiny carton).

You're really going to need to explain that comment!!!

According to BMI calculator your sob is healthy weight and your GP is an idiot

always been tall, it runs in my family, his other brother is 6'1 and my brothers are all 6'3+. Id say ds is more solidly built that his older brother, but by no means overweight. I think he is at the very very start of puberty.

According to the NHS calculator that's within the healthy weight range for a 12 year old

(Child BMIs should be lower than adults though, just to be aware.)

Overweight children often grow faster, hence why simply saying 'he's heavy because he's tall' can be inaccurate - often children are tall because they are heavy.

I'm about the same size and weight as your son and people regularly comment on me being skinny.

Unless you got his height wrong, or his weight, your DS is a healthy weight. My bmi is close to 21 (57kg/1m67).

I'd have told the GP that his weight is absolutely fine based on bmi. And change GP.

absolutely NOT overweight.

my 16yo ds is inch shorter and same weight and gp keeps telling me to make sure he doesn't lose any weight as he'd like him a bit heavier tbh.

Gosh no. I'm 5 ft 6 and just over 9 stone and am considered slim both anecdotally and in BMI chart. I've got a bit of chub on the abdomen and waist so could lose a bit without going into underweight but I can't imagine a doctor would consider my current weight problematic. Actually racking my brains I do remember going for my contraceptive check up age 18 not long after going to uni and my weight had gone up 8 stone to 9 stone in 6 months and I was "told off" and advised to try and lose some. I think it was the rapid increase that was of concern and also being quite young (the reasoning being if you gain a lot while still in teens is hard to lose it later and establish yourself as a slim adult). Could that be true of your lad?

I didnt know overweight children could be taller, genuinely thought height was a factor attributed directly to mother and fathers height. But both my children are tall, since birth (or a long baby as the midwife said :D ) Ds1 took a stretch about this age and Im pretty sure ds2 will be the same. I think this year will be the year I officially become the shortest arse in the house!

Im 5'6" and I'd look ill if I was 9st. Your GP is an idiot.

Sometimes height can be an indicator that a child is overweight.

Eh?

My son is much older but same height and weight and skinny as anything!

I can’t find the exact link now, but have seen it linked on previous threads. Paraphrasing slightly but I believe it was that overweight children tend to grow taller before puberty, and then gain less height during puberty compared to non overweight children.

Either way doesn’t seem relevant as pp has posted a screenshot of a BMI calculator that shows DS isn’t even overweight! I wouldn’t be seeing that GP again OP.

Complain to the practice manager that the GP does not know the NHS healthy bmi range and instead of checking it wrongly assessed your child as overweight and humiliated and upset your healthy 12 yr old who has special needs.

My DS is 95th centile for his height. He’s extremely fit and solid muscle with bones of lead, has a six pack from rock climbing and huge thighs from rugby. But apparently his weight is ‘a concern’ 🙄

He’s right at the top of the chart for height and very near the top for weight. That might mean he’s perfectly fine and he’s going to be over 6 foot tall or it might mean that he’s overweight and that has caused him to be tall for his age (it really is a thing.) I’d look at healthy eating (as much as he can manage with his food issues) and exercise, because that won’t do any harm whatever his BMI is.

www.rcpch.ac.uk/sites/default/files/Boys_2-18_years_growth_chart.pdf

Glad I’m not going mad and didn’t invent the height thing myself!

Weird! I’m 5’3 and 9 stone and would describe myself as slim! GP sounds ignorant.

I thought that where obese children were growing taller, they were still obese even at their taller height. Otherwise how do they know they're not just tall? This kid is not obese at his taller height.

My level of scientific understanding is at ‘it’s a thing’. The reasons are beyond me.

thinking about it, gp didnt weigh him or measure his height, this was purely from looking at him. I took him home and measured his weight and height myself as I just couldnt believe he was overweight. I have two different sets of scales and both said the same thing so my scales are fine. I'll admit ds doesnt have a six pack, hes not overly active other than rugby once a week, pe at school and general walking about to and from school and playing.