To think it’s possible for child to be overweight BMI but not unhealthy?

[NameChangedOct24]

My DS is age 8 and falls into 95th centile overweight BMI on child growth charts. To me he doesn’t look overweight, is it possible that he is still healthy despite the chart and I’m not deluded….ill try to upload a pic.

You are not overweight from a health point of view. You may be over the weight that you’d ideally like to be!

No. I am overweight. The BMI is a blunt tool which cannot tell my body type from the next. I am well aware that BMI says I am a healthy weight. My body tells me otherwise.

Yes of course it’s possible just like adults whose BMI is between 25 and 29 statistically live longer than those in the normal or underweight category.
My DP’s kids are very skinny but their diet is atrocious (it’s not my place to decide what to feed them, it’s their parents’ but it’s about 95% UPF and I’ve forced myself to stop worrying about it). My niece and nephew are solidly built, not fat but definitely not skinny. They eat loads of fruit and veg and a largely unprocessed diet with a few treats here and there. I’d venture that my niece and nephew are healthier or are at least laying a better foundation for adult health.

My son was fairly overweight at 13 and had been for a few years , he was not happy...always wearing big jumpers, which made him look even bigger. We never made a big deal regarding his eating, which wasn't great (smacking on sweets after school) We encouraged him to start reading the labels on the back of packaging and letting him make informed decisions about his choices. Now at 16, he's lost about 2 stone , goes to the gym, and rarely eats crap food - he decided . If you are worried at 8 I would start looking at labels on food together, teaching him what calories are and how our body processes them , no judgement just education

BMI should not be used.

Most professional rugby players would be obese/

Better use its body fat %

Sometimes children put a bit of "puppy fat" down, before a growth spurt ime. If he is eating a lot, but it's healthy(ish) stuff, I wouldn't worry OP. He might just need it. If it's UPF, I'd maybe try to cut those back, so you know the tummy isn't from an addiction. Wouldn't cut calories though, especially as boys can start puberty from 9 - he could be an early bloomer!

@CoffeeAndATwix

No, he is towards the top of the bmi healthy scale at the moment (we saw his constant paediatrician last week who always checks his hight/weight/blood pressure etc). He has lost and gained around 50 centile points this year in weight.

Bodies are weird, and disabled bodies are weirder… you would expect larger bmi to equal higher blood pressure too for example, but he has normal systolic pressure and low diastolic pressure.

Josette was questioning the previous poster who wrote

BMI is the trigger for eating disorders in my opinion

The previous poster was giving an opinion; not talking about having actually having experienced an eating disorder!

“Belly overhang” from fully grown adults about a literal child makes me shudder 🤢

The OPs son Alex s not a professional rugby player. He doesn't sound like a pro athlete. He is not an adult who can lay down significant volumes of muscle. It is not helpful to compare an 8 yr old child with an adult professional athlete.

The OPs son is overweight. It's helpful for her to know that so she can make adjustments to keep him healthy

Sorry typo - 'the OPs son is...' (don't know who Alex is!???)

Yes, but we’re outliers, most people with an obese bmi aren’t professional athletes!

This is a good demonstration of why BMI is a blunt tool. According to your BMI you weight is within the healthy range. But it seems your ideal weight is less than that. And that's fine. That's why BMI needs to be looked at with other factors.
Someone who naturally lies at the top end of the BMI range who then loses a lot of weight w/o trying would want to be looked into even if they still lied within the healthy range.

I naturally lie at the low end. Always have. I could probably put on about 2 or 3 stone and still be in the healthy range. I know that this would not be healthy FOR ME. This doesn't mean that BMI is rubbish.

You're right, but how do you suggest as a nation we measure body fat?

@NameChangedOct24 his height and weight should ideally be following the same curve on centiles chart. I am not a big believer in BMI. A child of 8 should on average (note the average, that includes height so 50th centiles) should weigh 24kgs. Currently as an average he weighs the same as a 13yr old child. If this is a blip, then he could be due a growth spurt. If this is consistent then maybe he is a little overweight if his centiles don’t match and he is not a very tall boy. At this age there are a few things you can do and not have too much awareness of what you are doing from him. I wouldn’t make him aware. But you could sign him up for more exercise, additional football etc. and ensure no treats at home for him to grab.
i thiink he can absolutely be healthy at this weight but you need to be aware of his future weight and the implications of childhood increased weight on long term weight as an adult. You don’t want his body to adjust to needing more calories to feel sated. There are lots of health promotion programmes around healthy weight management for children from NHSE, just look online and it’s everyday tips on diet and exercise. Not that I am suggesting there is anything wrong with his diet or the level of exercise. Just that it can support a healthy height appropriate weight, if that’s what he needs.

Children do naturally fluctuate in weight. My DS was a massively chunky 2 year old who was at one stage almost into the overweight category by BMI. He gradually slimmed out between 2 and 4 and hovered around 50th centile BMI. Between 5 and 7 he was a string bean, at one point going down to 13th centile. Now at 8 he’s gone back up to 45th. It’s important to keep an eye so you know what’s going on - at both ends of the spectrum. I suspect my DS is due a growth spurt and yours probably is too, but consistently being in the overweight category is a pretty reliable indication that your DS is overweight.

All the rib talk on this thread is hilarious! Under 10s should have visible ribs and shoulder blades. Visible does not equal protruding.

Picture has just shown for me.

That's not an 8 year old. That's also not an overweight person. What a strange strange thread

I haven't seen the photo but for comparison my just turned 8 year old is broad shouldered, about 132cm and weighs about 23 kilos so 35 kilos seems very heavy to me. DS isn't skinny but has no fat on him either. He seems to be a similar height and build to most of the boys in his year. I would maybe be keeping a close eye on how much he is eating and the quality of it (without him knowing though) plus encouraging more excersise.

In our LA, every child receives a letter, not just those whose weight is of concern. The letter is addressed to the parents, not the child. Unless the parent decides to share the contents with their child, then it’s not ‘damaging’ at all.
When obesity is the biggest cause of myriad serous health conditions throughout life, then addressing this early doors is crucial.

My eldest has this body type too!! 75th centile from in utero, both heigh and weight. Very wirey and strong and lively, with visible (but not protruding) ribs. His brother is two years younger - they have almost exactly the same diet (in fact, the youngest eats smaller portions, even for his age). They run around the same amount, usually together. Both boys. Both the same amount of sleep etc for their age. But the youngest is a cube shape. You can't see his ribs at all, and he has a little pot belly - not an overhang, but round. I really do think body types play a big part, even from a young age.

Also most rugby players would not be obese, they’d be in the low end of the overweight category. it’s a myth that athletes would have a morbidly obese BMI. The only times it’s true is where the athlete in question is in fact very fat, which is the case with some sports, eg shot putting.

A lot of rugby players are 23/24 stone, a rugby squad can have a combined weight of 1000kg.

My oldest was a skinny child. He was under the paediatrician for other things and we expressed concern over his weight. My husband said “you can count his ribs by sight”. The paediatrician commented “yes, you’re supposed to”. He also commented that we’re developing a skewed idea of what’s “normal” in terms of build because so many of us are overweight and obese.

sure BMI is a crude tool but it’s a starting point and unless you can count ribs they’re too fat 😜

My friend’s “over weight” dc is now 20 and a 6’4” rugby player. His dad is similar. Dc come in didn’t shapes and sizes. The bmi is a guide to use with other information.

dd1 is “underweight” on her bmi and a size 4-6 in adult clothes and 5’8”. However, she’s stayed on the same trajectory since birth and is healthy (takes after my dad’s side).

look at all your family info, portion sizes and activity levels then decide if you need to do anything.

They usually say if you can see their ribs that's a sign they're a healthy weight.

My bmi was normal at size 4 and overweight at a small 12 - I'm average height. At a small 12 a doctor looked me up and done and said well your a healthy weight and I remember thinking no I'm overweight according to bmi. But the time a different doctor actually checked my bmi as I was clearly too thin they said, oh you're in the normal range so that's okay and dismissed it.

Take these things with a pinch of salt and use your eyes. I think they're particularly tricksy for kids who develop at different rates and have big heads.