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Original poster

In news - recommended weight range of a 4 yr old is 2st1lbs-2st9lbs

31 replies

ahhhhhpushit · 30/01/2012 16:47

Sorry it's a DM link Blush

www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2093631/How-boy-labelled-clinically-obese.html

They've been told he is clinically obese!!

My 15 month old is 2st 2lbs!!!!

Oh my god!! This cannot be right, surely.

I imagine he is going to put on rather more than 7lbs in the next 3 years.....

Shock Shock

OP posts:
Original poster
ahhhhhpushit · 30/01/2012 16:47

Sorry -

www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2093631/How-boy-labelled-clinically-obese.html

OP posts:
mrspepperpotty · 30/01/2012 17:17

I've just gone to an online BMI calculator and put in this boy's age, height and weight and it does give obese. Agree he doesn't look obese in the photo though! So (assuming the photo is genuine? This is the DM after all!) it must be an issue with the BMI method, which the school has then applied correctly (but perhaps failed to apply common sense to).

I'm surprised - I thought the BMI method was reliable?

My 4yo DD weighs nearly the same as him - she's a lot taller though. The BMI calc says she's a healthy weight.

OP, is your DS tall for his age?

mrspepperpotty · 30/01/2012 17:18

BMI calc

Lisatheonewhoeatsdrytoast · 30/01/2012 17:22

very strange,he doesn't look big at all!

My DS has just turned 3 and is only 1st 13lb approx, as he's quite small for his age as well, just 92cm, i thought he was too small! :S, but if the recommended is between 2st 2lb and whatever the higher range was, that's a bit of a shocker really!! Mines is skinny too,can't get trousers to stay round his waist!

YankNCock · 30/01/2012 17:25

My 2.5 y/o is 2st 2 and has been that for at least the last few months. I would have said he is pretty slim other than having a little pot belly! BMI calc says he's 68th centile though? Maybe he's taller than I think, but he won't stand still to get measured.

TimeWasting · 30/01/2012 17:31

That is height dependent.

belgo · 30/01/2012 17:34

I very much doubt the DM have got all of the facts correct.

The rate of weight gain does decrease after the first year, and it does depend on how tall a child is.

belgo · 30/01/2012 17:44

I've just seen the DM report, he is quite heavy for that height.

Sidge · 30/01/2012 17:57

Your thread title is inaccurate. They're not saying four year olds should be between those weights, they're saying a child of that height should be between those weights.

He's quite short and fairly heavy for his height. His mum looks overweight as well so I imagine her perception of 'normal' is quite skewed.

TheFoosa · 30/01/2012 18:02

I thought mum and son both looked ok, not overweight Hmm

belgo · 30/01/2012 18:10

The letter doesn't actually say he is obese. It points out his percentile, and what the recommended healthy range is, and the risks of obesity, but it does not actually say that the boy is overweight or obese.

I think that people's view of what is normal is skewed, as another poster says.

Beanbagz · 30/01/2012 18:11

I just had to check my 7 year old DS and my 10 year old DD on the BMI calculator. Turns out they're both on the 1st Centile so will the Government be accusing me of not feeding them next???

I agree that the boy in the photo doesn't look overweight at all. It's probably just that he's short for his weight.

TheFoosa · 30/01/2012 18:12

ha ha ha that's my excuse, short for my weight

ilovedjasondonovan · 30/01/2012 18:15

If its any help DD2 was 2 stone exactly at her 1yr check up (fat little bugger she was).

She will now be 4 this June and weighs a whole 2 stone 8 pounds. So yes, they can put on very little in the next few years. Its been quite funny going from size 4-5 clothes on a 1 year old to 3-4, 2-3, 3-4, 4-5 and now 5-6 clothes on her. She's still a little chunky monkey, but certainly not fat and from the DM obviously on target.

SchrodingersMew · 30/01/2012 18:16

Bugger, my 4 month old was 1st, 3lbs when he was weighed a month ago! Confused

Tee2072 · 30/01/2012 18:24

BMI is bullshit. That kid is not obese.

And neither is my 2.7 year old who weighs 2.5 stone and is over 3 feet tall.

exexpat · 30/01/2012 18:25

I'm sure both of mine would have been way, way over that recommended weight range. But then they were both way over the recommended height range too Hmm. It's ridiculous to have a one-size-fits-all policy for children.

mrspepperpotty · 30/01/2012 18:44

But its not a one-size-fits-all. BMI allows for height as well as weight. It's not just based on age and weight.

Tee2072 · 30/01/2012 18:45

But doesn't account for fat versus muscle or body shape.

mrspepperpotty · 30/01/2012 18:49

The boy in the article is short for his age. The recommended weight range is for a child of his height, not a 4 year old.

mrspepperpotty · 30/01/2012 18:51

Tee, I agree BMI is not infallible in some cases. I was responding to exexpat's comment.

LanceCorporalBoiledEgg · 30/01/2012 18:53

My 4 yo DD weighs less than him and is about 10cm taller.

So it's probably right.

The mum is definitely overweight.

I agree people have no idea what overweight looks like any more.

VillaEphrussi · 30/01/2012 18:58

I've just looked these stats up on my red book height and weight chart, and his height is only just above the 9th percentile, and his weight is a third of the way between the 75th and 91st percentile, each for a four year old. So judging by the imbalance between those, he is sort of overweight.

GwendolineMaryLacey · 30/01/2012 19:02

His mum looks overweight as well so I imagine her perception of 'normal' is quite skewed.

Yes because eating cake affects your eyesight too... What a stupid comment.

VillaEphrussi · 30/01/2012 19:03

Or rather, he is 4 kgs (half a stone) heavier than the averagely proportioned child of his height, who would weigh about 14.5 kgs.