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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think that this 'epidemic' of overweight children is bullshit

269 replies

EssenceOfJack · 19/02/2010 10:15

For example, article here about a child who is 'overweight'
According to this children's BMI calculator my DD1 is on the 93rd percentile and is overweight when if you look on my profile you can clearly see that she is nothing of the sort.

Are they just measuring these small children when BMI means feck all (the calculator reckons it can tell you results for children from 2 to 20) and declaring them overweight based on arbitrary measurements and then the NHS using these figures to tell us all our children are fat?

I ask in all seriousness as at DD1's primary school I can genuinely say I haven't noticed one overweight child, and we live in a mildly deprived area so are supposed to be rife with 'fat kids'. yes, some have baby fat still, but they aren't fat

So AIBU?

OP posts:
SailAway · 19/02/2010 11:33

Fitness is another issue. I do agree that lots of children are not getting nearly enough exercise.

But that's a different issue : you can be thin and unfit, overweight and fit (don't think it would the case for an obese child/adult) and all the other possible combinations.

Overall, people and children are too big in average and that needs to be addressed.

heQet · 19/02/2010 11:33

crikey, has it been that long?

sarah293 · 19/02/2010 11:33

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ByThePowerOfGreyskull · 19/02/2010 11:38

you are so right riven,

I had a bit of a talk to myself a couple of weeks ago and stopped offering a bscuit when we get home from school, I offer fruit instead... I thought they were going to argue with me but they didn't and hvae been motoring through fruit as snacks every day instead... I had just bought into the hype that children need biscuits and more junky snacks.

Both my boys are on the lighter side but I was allowing the to get really bad snacking habits.

Heated · 19/02/2010 11:42

There are greater number of fatter children at secondary now than 20 years ago and a fatter adult population too.

Shops have obviously identified a need, plus- size children's ranges are in M&S, NEXT etc and standard sizes have increased. Conversely I struggle to find trousers for ds and dd who are skinny minnies.

Children are more sedentary, they play out less, travel by car more, but have maintained or even increased calorie intake.

So no it's not a myth imo.

Morloth · 19/02/2010 11:44

Agree with there being a problem with fitness/stamina.

Am always amazed if we are out with other people's kids and they get tired. DS doesn't do tired. He does "Running at full pelt" and "asleep" and after a sleep he is up and running again. He does eat a lot though to maintain those energy levels.

I can't actually remember ever being tired/sore as a kid and it does seem pretty common now.

princessparty · 19/02/2010 11:46

I don't know where all these fat kids are !I can't think of a single fat child at my DDs school and even at the boys secondary very very few
There's one girl at Brownies who is a bit porky , but that's all

MathsMadMummy · 19/02/2010 11:48

I think fitness is more of an issue than weight, a chubby kid who runs around lots may be healthier than a lazy skinny one!

anyone see that supernanny (sorry, 'jo frost extreme parental guidance') thing on tues where they compared modern kids fitness with 50 years ago? results not good!

3M

belgo · 19/02/2010 11:48

But it's easier to be fitter if you are a healthy weight.

lolapoppins · 19/02/2010 11:49

According to a BMI calculator I looked on, my perfectly heathly 7 year old ds is bordering on morbidly obese.

He does weigh 4 and a halfstone, but he is in size7-8 year clothes which are a little baggy tbh, and there is no fat on him. I am 5 foot five a size 8 but weigh 10 and a half stone, ds takes after me in weighing a lot more than he looks. I think some peole are heavier than they look. I hate the enphaisis on BMI.

Heated · 19/02/2010 11:51

Discounting those who are childminders, who have physical impairments etc, there are an awful lot of cars outside ds' primary school and a fair number who are collected in buggies. The catchment is a small one. Laziness and/or just time saving? There is a certain irony that the parent who runs the school football club after school drives 200 yards to drop his children off and then 200 yards back, not even enough time for the car engine to warm up. Or that a parents response to getting the letter telling him his dd is obese is to buy her wii fit. Am not holy than thou, just as sluggish as the next lazy person, but am not kidding myself that it's not having an impact.

sarah293 · 19/02/2010 11:52

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princessparty · 19/02/2010 11:57

mathsmadmummy - My understanding was that the majority of the children's was comparable , but the results were skewed by 30 % with very poor performances.
It made me sad when she told the whole group that they had to improve when it was just a minority that were the problem.

sarah293 · 19/02/2010 11:59

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sarah293 · 19/02/2010 12:00

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SlackSally · 19/02/2010 12:00

I currently work in a girls' secondary school, which covers some very deprived areas. I would say that about half of all the girls are overweight to some degree. Probably around a fifth look seriously fat, a few bloody enourmous.

However, when I worked at an after school club based at a private primary in a very middle class area, I can only think of one child who was overweight. And he had absolutely no problems in running around with the others.

Sadly, I think economic status has a very big impact.

Sidge · 19/02/2010 12:02

The NCMP programme is shite. The letters are ridiculous and you cannot and should not blanket-mark children as overweight without looking at them properly.

However the epidemic of childhood obesity is NOT bullshit. It is a real and growing problem and society's perception of what is normal for children in terms of body fat composition is skewed. When I was a school nurse I saw an average of 3 or 4 children in a reception class of 20-25 that were seriously overweight. Not just stocky, sturdy or with sticky out tummies, but properly overweight. Their parents (on the whole) thought they were fine and that it was normal for a 5 year old to need age 8-9 trousers that had to be rolled up.

Generally children nowadays eat too much crap and don't get enough activity. You don't really need BMI charts and growth centiles to know if a child is overweight, you can look at them.

cravingcroissants · 19/02/2010 12:05

Children are getting bigger. When I was at school in the 80's there was the odd bigger kid but now it seems that every other child at DS's school is big.

Our diet was so different to what it is now though. We had 3 meals a day and no snacks (probably through lack of money). And portion sizes I'm sure are larger now too.
When I took sandwiches for lunch to school, I took sandwiches and that was it. Water was provided by the school. Now it's sandwiches, crisps, chocolate bar, yoghurt etc etc etc....kids seem to be constantly eating.

Also decrease in exercise is a factor. Children are chauffered to school and then home. Kids don't 'play out' anymore because parents are scared of weirdos.

Ivykaty44 · 19/02/2010 12:08

children are usually willing once they are used to walking, I have found though it is the parnets that think they should be ferryed in the car from place to place.

I let my dd walk to her friends house and then due to it being dark I walked to pick her up. the other mother wanted to give me a lift home - I explianed that we were fine to walk, she wasn't happy as it was cold out, its dark at 6.30. No we will walk thank you very much.

Parents can walk, but this same mother will not walk her dd to mine, she has to drive and it is less than a mile walk. Thing is she is not the only one that doesn't walk and always wants to use the car.

kreecherlivesupstairs · 19/02/2010 12:10

I've thought about this and wonder if income is a factor. I know that it is much more expensive to eat good quality meat, fresh fruit and veg etc, than it is to eat a pie, frozen chips and a tin of peas. chocolate is much less costly than a piece of fruit too.

sarah293 · 19/02/2010 12:13

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Morloth · 19/02/2010 12:14

Do these BMI calculators take into account boy/girl?

DS is almost exactly the same size as a friend's DD, but he is almost 5 kilos heavier.

cravingcroissants · 19/02/2010 12:17

Maybe not income but definitely lack of education. We are a low income family with only DP working but my DC's are on the whole fed properly. I try to make sure they have veg everyday and they always have at least one piece of fruit. Apart from our rent, our food bill is our highest outgoing. We don't smoke, rarely drink and don't have much extra money for treats but we always eat properly. It's about priorities.

Ivykaty44 · 19/02/2010 12:18

I don't us the car if we can walk or cyle - s then I don't have to put petrol in the car It is easier to do this in the summer with the light nights

MathsMadMummy · 19/02/2010 12:20

that's the one reason i'm glad we don't have a car! (no way we could afford one!)
we have to walk or get the bus and i think so far that's been better for us. we live in a fairly rich area so most peoples' little dahlings are bundled into the car to go the half-mile to nursery/school/co-op.

also, as we decided against a double buggy because of getting it on a bus, my DD has virtually not used a buggy since she was 2.3ish. She hates it anyway and prefers walking/running so we made the right choice. I know older kids who still go in buggies and they're mostly really lazy!

3m