Dd is gaining weight rapidly and I don’t know why

[megabrilliant]

I weighed my dd today she is 10 and weighs 7 stone 2 at 4 foot 8 which puts her at 96 centile.
I weighed myself at the same time and I was 7 stone 1 which at 5’2 makes me marginally underweight but only by a couple of lb.
My 8 year old was only 4 stone something and smack bang in the healthy range.
I just don’t understand and I know people must think I feed her junk but I give them both the same breakfast, same packed lunch and cook them the same dinner and so if anything the youngest eats more for her age as she eats the same size meals.
I walk them to and from school each day which is about 15 minutes each way so that’s half an hour exercise and they both do activities out of school plus we go swimming and are quite an active family generally.
No sweet drinks or junk food.

An average day will look like this.

Breakfas
2 pieces of toast and spread or bowl of porridge or very occasionally a croissant or hot cross bun for a change.

Packed lunch
Sandwich or wrap with ham or cheese.
yogurt
piece of fruit
cereal bar for snack at break and water.

Dinner
Meat, all fresh like chicken breast or pork chops, veg, potato or rice or pasta, occasionally beans but rarely.

If they are hungry later they have fruit or cheese or cracker type biscuits but other than that I can’t see how she is ballooning in weight.
I used to give her size 6 clothes I didn’t wear anymore because she fitted in them and now she doesn’t and I’m buying primary school uniform in age 15 online and she’s in teen clothes, I bought a coat in age 15 and she’s struggling to do the zip up.
Her teeth are good, she isn’t a good sleeper but is there anything else I can do for her or is she just a bit bigger but can that still be healthy, I think people think it’s neglect and I’m giving her the wrong food but we all eat the same.

No absolutely not, she hasn’t started her period yet.

How do you know she is gaining weight rapidly if you have never weighed her before? She's a growing 10 year old, why are you comparing her height and weight to your own? Why are you underweight?

If her diet and activity level are OK you need to leave her alone. Stop obsessing over her weight and clothing size and focus on modelling a healthy relationship with a well balanced diet and a positive attitude to exercise. She may not grow up to be as slim as you but she can still be fit and healthy.

I think you may have your own food/body image issues; you need to ask yourself if you want to hand that down to your daughter.

I actually think this is worth a check up. Our school has an E-School Nurse scheme run by our local trust that I think would deal with issues like this. My daughter is 10, 4ft 8 and 5 stone 10. I think at 1.5 stone heavier she would be significantly overweight and that it would be having an impact on her health and ability to run around and be active.

You are naturally slim- what about her dad? Genetics play a part.

has she started puberty - even small signs like breast buds?

I think it’s fine to be concerned as long as you don’t let her know. My dd is the same age and height and is 5 stone 7 (before anyone asks why I weighed her- it was at her asthma check that she was weighed). So your dd does sound overweight to me and it’s fine to wonder why. I know you’ve said you go swimming but is she doing much exercise? Does she do any sports clubs etc?

I would guess it is puberty starting and so her body holding the weight before a growth spurt but it’s fine to keep an eye on it. Just don’t weigh her again or make it obvious you’re concerned because it could lead to body image issues.

A 10 year old needing age 15 clothes and rapid weight gain especially around tummy is something to be concerned about. Could you book her in for a check up with gp or nurse.
Yes girls may gain weight before puberty but not to extreme extent.

was she always a little heavier vs her sibling ie is this weight gain massive, or just pushing her over into a higher bracket than she was before? If the former, I'd be incined to see the gp, especially if it's just on her stomach.

I've had two overweight children in different ways and for different reasons. IN DD's case, she had quite a few intolerances and was a bit of a fussy eater so a lot of the ratios of what she ate was wrong, and while she did exercise formally, she didn't do enough movement on a day to day basis. So her weight was heavily on her stomach and she looked very round and bloated a lot of the time. getting on top of those intolerances as a first step, then building up movement and food variety, combined with her getting taller and starting to enter puberty (she's 11) have made a huge difference. She's still on the higher end of the percentile scale but she's actually decreasing on weight percentile and (slightly) increasing on height percentile.

Well she can only gain weight if she consumes more than she burns off. She’s probably having larger portions than you realise (having second helpings etc.) or she’s eating too much at school.

If she’s not pregnant (which at 10 you would hope she isn’t), then she is just eating too much without you realising.

I knew she is gaining weight rapidly because I can see she is, hence why I weighed her this once to get an idea of what’s was going on and I don’t have my own food/body issues, would you say that if I was 2lb overweight?

Think you're projecting

7 stone odd at that height must be extremely slim

If you're concerned, then speak to the nurse or GP at your Doctor's surgery. No one on MN can really advise you, because we don't know if your daughter looks overweight or not. If you think there might be an issue, then speak to a medical professional.

You can't know she's rapidly gaining weight if you haven't weighed her before.

Why have you given your own weight, how is that relevant?

If you are genuinely concerned then go ask your doctor. I think this might be a 'you' issue tbh. My 10 year old son looked a little 'chubbier' at that age. He grew into it and is now a slim 15 year old.

Because this weight gain is significant (1.5 stones) and central (around the middle), it’s sensible for OP to have her DD assessed to rule out treatable medical causes.
OP Has she had any other symptoms—fatigue, mood changes, stretch marks, changes in height – or new medications?

Read it all now. Asking if she could be pregnant ffs what a reach. Age 10 you should be disgusted with yourself for suggesting. Let’s go to the most extreme thing and suggest it. Perhaps could she has under active thyroid or hormone condition would be my first thought not child pregnancy. Op honestly ignore all these post. MN proves again sados with nothing better to do

This is going to derupt everything you’ve prob always thought about overweight people. She’s prob got some gene from back on her dad’s side that makes her gain weight even though she’s eating the same as underweight people. We’re all different, she’ll prob just naturally be about 50% heavier than you as an adult and still prob be in the healthy range or maybe slightly overweight- it’s likely she’s just genetically programmed to be heavy as very many overweight people are

You sound like you have an ED. Why are you underweight? Why tell us, are you proud of it? Why are you using the word ‘ballooning’ about a normal ten year old?

Stop weighing her. Leave her alone. She’ll be fine with some weight on her, she’s about to enter a time of enormous growth and development.

Well this is my point, she takes a packed lunch that I made and doesn’t have access to any other food or money while there, it’s primary school, I take her and collect her.
I serve dinner and there’s no help yourself seconds. I know exactly what she eats as I prepare all meals.

I don't understand all the people saying you should ignore it and it's not an issue - her DD is clearly overweight and childhood obesity is a massive problem and a life-long health risk. Of course OP should address it.
I would talk to your doctor first though, if the weight gain has been rapid and she has not changed her diet or activity levels.

7 stone? Really?

My daughter is 11 and started puberty about a year ago. Since then she has gained weight. She was always a skinny-looking little girl - now she comes across as slim but with definite chunk around the tummy/bottom/chest area. I wouldn't say she is eating any more or any differently than she did before. As I understand it, it's a redistribution of fat more than anything else, and is normal for girls in Tanner Stage 2 when they have oestrogen production going on and breast buds but haven't properly rounded out into a womanly shape yet. If your daughter has started puberty, I would be inclined to assume that is what this is, and that it will even out once she hits her growth spurt. The same happened to me way back - though later to hit puberty than my daughter, I went through a borderline chubby phase at around 12/13 before slimming right back down by the time I was around 15 and had started my periods.

Most girls go through a growth spurt before they leave primary school. My guess is that she’s just laying down a bit of extra energy to draw on before she shoots up

I only had boys so I don’t know if it’s true for girls but the always grew out of their shoes then shot up in height!

How is her height on the centiles for her age?

Id make an appointment with the school nurse. Ours drops into our school once a term and parents can go in for discussions without children present. Sometimes you can call them for advice. Or the GP. She could have food intolerances or thyroid issues (you mention she doesn’t sleep well)

Would you know if she was taking food from the kitchen?
If you are sure she can't be eating more, I would see the GP.

Thank you, I hope that’s it and that’s fine, I just thought I’d make sure it was nothing to be concerned about.

Just because she hasn’t started her periods, that doesn’t mean her body isn’t getting ready to change.

It’s really common for girls to suddenly get puppy fat around the 10 to 11 age, just before their shape starts to change. It’s very noticeable in pictures of me when I was around your daughter’s age. I remember being at the nd of Y5 and needing something to wear to a summer wedding and my mum stressing because suddenly nothing I tried on would fit round my waist any more. That was before I started my periods. Then a year or so later I started my periods and my shape changed and suddenly all the chubbiness became hips and a bust instead of tummy fat.

Honestly, it’ll probably just be hormones.