To think too much pressure is put on children to be the "ideal" weight?

[TheLadyEvenstar]

when i look back at ds1 he was huge at 22m old he was in 4-5 clothes and a size 12 shoe. he is not 10 1/2 and is in 11-12 clothes and a 5 shoe.

But why do so many people worry about weight let kids be kids and as long as they are not being hindered let their bodies grow how they are.

Oha nd I really think weight charts at the point of pre-weaning should only be used to flag children not growing O 9then for investigation by APed, not silly comments about BF suc as we and so many get).

I'd say the gap between 1 and 2 is when aprents need to start to be aware really

But I do think it was a sad day when Next started selling the plus size range, my kids are chunky I would say but nothing to be concerned about, I'd be really horrified if Next adjustable waist bands didn't fit them.

agree. its sad, isn't it. seems like everyone wants themselves and their kids to be some bizarrely uniform ideal, whatever happened to make the best of what you've got and actually getting on with enjoying life. am much more concerned with dds' health and happiness than with weight and shape (note I said health, I was a skinny kid who ate junk all the time and am/was an overweight adult...but a pretty healthy one in most respects now).

My ds started out as a big chubby boy but as soon as he started crawling around his weight gain stalled and the HV were threatening all sorts of referals, until I saw a sensible one who saw how wriggly he was and said he obviously just burnt off all his calories! And having just this week met a lot of his dad's side of the family, he is obviously going to be very tall and thin just like them. So I felt put under pressure as ds has been going along a much lower centile than he started out on.
On the other hand, dd recently went to a birthday party for a 4 year old friend. One of the little girls there was certainly obese, as were both of her parents (and I speak as someone who is too until I get rid of some of my pg weight). WHat was sad was to see just how much food this child ate, and how much her parents encouraged it. It was a party at a cinema, all the children got popcorn, but this little girl was brought sweets and ice cream by her parents too. Afterwards there was cake of course, but this girl was ripping open the sachets of sugar in the cinema cafe and eating them too, all within view of her parents . They laughed, and said how much she loved her food, just like them. I just wonder what chance a child like that has really. And peachy, my little brother had anorexia too, and is now thankfully on the mend. My aunt has suffered terribly for 20 years, and I have had my fair share of issues too, so it's not clear cut at all. I don't think campaigns like that dreadful one with the cupcake help at all. It makes me bloody grateful my dd can't read yet actually. What kind of message is 'eat this cupcake and you will die' fgs?

It's fat children that should concern their parents - not chubby babies...they are not the same thing.

Making comments about "fat" babies is not helpful. Many bouncing babies grow into skinny children.

But obese 7, 8 & 9 year olds probably grow into overweight/obese adults .