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Original poster

Just got a letter home from the school nurse re: dd's weight

251 replies

fireflyfairy2 · 20/06/2007 14:38

She is 115cm & weighs 28kgs.

It says "XXXX weight has gone from 91st centile to above 98th centile. Please contact me to discuss referral to peadatric dietitian"

I know she is a big girl, but she is also tall for her age. She's well built but I didn't think she was overweight.

I am such a failure.

I am about 20lb overweight myself & dh had weight to lose.... I know dd eats very very healthily as I have already lost over 2 stone & she has been having what I have ben eating.

The sensible option is to change the whole families lifestyle to be more active & eat more healthily.. I know we can do that, but I just feel like such a failure at the minute.

Dh thinks it's ok as he had to attend a dietitian when he was young.. but I don't think it's ok. Dh was an obese child & I always blamed his parents when I saw photos of him from childhood... now look what I have done to my beautiful dd I've made her fat, just as I have always accused my MIL of doing to dh

OP posts:
LilRedWG · 20/06/2007 15:01

Hmmm - Liz, I think you have a point there. The US do have a major problem with obesity don't they.

ViciousSquirrelSpotter · 20/06/2007 15:02

Also remember that children go through ups and downs - sometimes they are underweight or overweight, but that can be a temporary thing that self-corrects in a few months.

Original poster
fireflyfairy2 · 20/06/2007 15:11

I can definitely look at her objectively.

I will think about going to see the dietician, but at the minute I just want to ask everyone I know if they think dd is overweight [I won't though]

I even said to MIL last week that dd's trousers were too small & she said "But she's not fat, she's well built"

She obviously didn't know her own son was overweight so what's the chances of her seeing any flaws in her grand daughter.

OP posts:
LilRedWG · 20/06/2007 15:15

My friend has two DDs. The elder one was often mistaken for being younger when they were little, as she was dainty and petite (she's two years older). Whereas, the younger of the two is solidly built. They both eat the same, just different build,.

bozza · 20/06/2007 15:25

Does she exercise?

They have different target ranges for girls and boys. And it is more unusual for girls to have broad shoulders - I speak as one such, right from them getting stuck in the birth canal to now. But last time I was weighed by a nurse she said that she was surprised I was so heavy because she can usually guess people's weights roughly.

CountessDracula · 20/06/2007 15:29

oh yes I am the same

At a fair once I won £10 from a man who claimed to be able to guess your weigh to within 5lbs and he guess me nearly a stone lighter than I am I have very broad shoulders and big frame but am only 5 foot 5ish

CountessDracula · 20/06/2007 15:29

actually it was 10 Aussie $ as was at Luna Park in Sydney come to think of it

CountessDracula · 20/06/2007 15:29

(he made me empty out my pockets in case I had weights secreted)

Original poster
fireflyfairy2 · 20/06/2007 15:30

She plays camogie on a Monday & Thursday.
This involves running around a huge pitch with a stick & ball.

She also does PE at school twice a week [I don't know what this involves though]

We walk about half a mile home from school on dry days, not possible to walk every day as school is about 2 miles away & I am on a busy main road with no footpath. On the afternoons we walk, I park about half a mile away from school in a lay by so that she can have a walk.

OP posts:
nailpolish · 20/06/2007 15:32

Margo

has your sis had blood tests done? Has the dietician seen the results, if any?

oliveoil · 20/06/2007 15:32

how many pounds in a kg?

dd1 is about 3 stone and she is 5 in October, not sure how tall, maybe 3 foot?

I guessed on that last chart linked and it says she is obese

obese my arse

if I were you I would go to the dieticiann woman alone and see what she has to say

CountessDracula · 20/06/2007 15:34

oo
my dd is 5 in september
She weights 3st 3lbs and is 110 cm which is 3.5 ft I think and she is normal - are you sure she is only 3ft?

CountessDracula · 20/06/2007 15:34

3stone 3lbs is 20kg ish

oliveoil · 20/06/2007 15:35

she may be more, not sure, I am picturing and guessing wildly

will measure tonight

try not to worry fff2

oliveoil · 20/06/2007 15:36

she is about a head taller then everyone else at playgroup so maybe more then 3ft come to think of it

CountessDracula · 20/06/2007 15:36

Yes I agree don't worry too much
Cut out the bad food and give her carrots, cucumber etc to snack on

I give dd carrots and cucumber sticks and baby tomatoes as a starter about 20 mins before her food sometimes. It means she eats a lot less usually

bozza · 20/06/2007 15:36

olive I think you have probably guessed your DD's height quite badly. My DD has just turned 3 and is 93cm, (had to measure her for legoland) so just over 3 ft and she is not particularly tall.

oliveoil · 20/06/2007 15:37

I will no doubt come back later and put 4ft 9 or somehting

nailpolish · 20/06/2007 15:39

oo how tall are you and where does dd come to on you

that might help

ernest · 20/06/2007 15:40

first of all don't feel a failure.

you'd be a failure if you were totally oblivious or didn't care.

While it's good to hear reassurance, oh, just well built etc, I think sometimes that can keep people from taking necessary action. It's good you're trying to be objective. I agreee doting granny who herslef had overweight child not best candidate. Do you have a really goo dfriend who you know will be honest but discreet?

I wouldn't turn down the dietician appt you could learn something, after all. Id also consider taking your dd. The dietician will be trained from dealing with kids. It's how you present it to her. Saying that you as a family really want to make sure you're eating healthily & this lady/man is helping you all do that. I'm sure my dss would be fascinaed. Mind you I have the opposite problem. I'm really worried cos mine, esp ds is so little and skinny and barely registers on the scale.

oliveoil · 20/06/2007 15:40

5ft 9

erm, not sure, waist maybe? (have just stood up in office!)

she can reach light switches without stretching (wonders if this makes things any clearer)

Original poster
fireflyfairy2 · 20/06/2007 15:41

There are 2.2lb in a kg.

Have now put 2 pics of dd in my profile.

I don't think she looks overweight... but I am also aware that a mother often wears rose tinted glasses

OP posts:
Ladymuck · 20/06/2007 15:42

If she is 5.5 and 115cm then she is just under the 75th centile for height. 75th centile for weight would be around 22kgs. 91st would be 24kg.

To be honest I don't think that they are necessariiy concerned about where she sits on the centiles (as everyone else has said that is down to many different factors incl build) - it is more the fact that she is moving up them. Now it could just be that she is about to hit a growth spurt, and will grow into her new weight quite quickly. But the implication of the letter is that she has been measured at some point since September and in those 9 months has put on more weight than would normally be expected. The letter picks on a particular problem in sudden weight gain - it doesn't mean that you child is obese or anything like that. FWIW you would have had similar advice if she hadn't gained any weight.

CountessDracula · 20/06/2007 15:43

awww she looks gorgeous
not fat
Well built, like mine!

nailpolish · 20/06/2007 15:44

im desperate for dd1 to come home from nursery so i can measre her now

i am 5' and she comes up to about the bottom of my ribcage - no idea what this is tho heightwise

dh is 6'1" and i think i am going to be one of those tiny mums with 2 beanpole daughters

took dd1 for shes the other day and she is a size ten!

is that normal for a 4and half yr old? Olive??