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Children's health

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Original poster

ds 4 very overweight....please i need advice

45 replies

wideratthehips · 08/03/2011 20:20

okay, please don't shoot the messenger!

ds is middle child so we are a family of 5.

when he was born he was 10lbs 8 (other children were 7 to 8lbs)

he has ALWAYS ALWAYS been very hungry, HV when he was a baby said i must reduce portion size (looked in tiny pot of pureed carrot...sheesh) after breast feeding when he went on to formula/cows milk i watered it down (probably not good but he was always desperate, but so big)

we are all a healthy family, other children are tall for age and skinny, i'm 5'7 and 10.5st dh is 5'11 and 12st

so pre school said today that he went white as a sheet and said he was so hungry they had to bring snack time forward and he perked up and also perked up after lunch time.
i'm not sure what height he is but is average to his peers i weighed him this evening and he was 23.5kg...2yr old sister got on and she was 13kgs.

now we eat health food...i cook all our family meals from HFW cookbooks in rotation. we never have puddings he has normal cereal in the morning snacks are fruit/veg. there is usually achocolate coin for all the children after school to get them home and i'm at a loss.

i got a fright today after pre school and came home and have made a drs appointment for monday but i just know the dr will raise his eyebrows and say portion control!

he scoots everywhere but does have low stamina compared to the rest of us as a family, but we are active and do a lot of outdoor yomping.

anyone else have an overweight child that can give me some helpful advice?

OP posts:
bamboostalks · 08/03/2011 20:25

Perhaps it may be a pitutary gland problem? Just scratching around really. That must be a tough situation.

Original poster
wideratthehips · 08/03/2011 20:30

god that a long post i made!

thanks for a reply, i am quite worried, also forgot to say that he only has a bit of milk in the morning..cereal and half a cup and a bit at preschool and half a cup at bedtime. i make him drink water the rest of the time and when i have a plea for food i make him drink half a cup of water and hand him a carrot!

poor thing!

OP posts:
reup · 08/03/2011 20:39

Is he 4? Or do you mean 4th child. My 4 yr old is about that weight and is on 98th percentile for height too. So he is in proportion. He is seeing a paed for other matters and they have never brought up his weight as a concern.

Original poster
wideratthehips · 08/03/2011 20:44

he is four (a few weeks ago). i wish i knew what height he is and could reasure myself!

he has a lot of 'fat'/wobbly bits....tummy upper arms cheeks. his peers though are all starting to look like proper little children, lengthening out and more in proportion.

he did ask me the other day if his tummy was going to explode Sad Shock poor wee thing!

OP posts:
defineme · 08/03/2011 20:49

Unless you measure his height and weight and put them in NHS kids BMi calculator you don't actually know if he is or not.
Get a tape measure and measure him in bed now!
You sound like you're doing all the right things and some children have round faces and so on/different build to rest of family without being overweight.
You need facts before diet advice.

reup · 08/03/2011 20:49

Mine is 107cm if that's any help when you get to measure him. Is he in the right age clothes? Although they all vary so much!

weegiemum · 08/03/2011 20:49

I had big babies too and they are all intermittently podgy then lanky as they grow.

2 thoughts?

Along with being hungry/wobbly when he hasn't eaten, is he thirsty at all - like worryingly tanking it back? Just what your nursery described is a bit like a diabetic "hypo" - I'd ask the doc about that on Mon. It's VERY unlikely, he'd be iller if it was, but it is worth getting checked.

Scootering isn't actually that good an exercise compared to walking/running. My dd2 had a hip condition for 2 years (age 3-6) and got a bit 'rotund' as she wasn't allowed to walk. When she was allowed activity again, her consultant said to encourage walking/running/cycling but advised against scooting as there is much less energy used. Wondered if that would be helpful?

Original poster
wideratthehips · 08/03/2011 20:59

thanks weegiemum can't get him off his scooter, and i'm trying to get him onto his big brothers old bike, which would definately be harder work for him as its so heavy.

i do feel sorry for him as his siblings are tall and blond like dad and look scandinavian where as he is dark and round and i think he must feel like a cuckoo in the nest.

i'm sure if physical exertion increased his weight would go down a bit, but perhaps hes made just they way he is and will always be 'big'

OP posts:
Original poster
wideratthehips · 08/03/2011 21:04

and thanks to eveyone else for their advice...i'm going to go and dig out a builder style tape measure and do him now!

OP posts:
weegiemum · 08/03/2011 21:07

He'll probably be a fabulous prop forward for your national rugby team when he is grown up!

Mind you, I thought that about ds when he was 4 and now he plays rugby and he's tall, lanky and noone can catch him down the wing - he's so skinny sometimes I worry, whereas I was worrying like you when he was 4 (not least as I am overweight!)

Original poster
wideratthehips · 08/03/2011 21:12

okay

hes 111cm give or take a few cm either way so i will go off and google him! Grin

OP posts:
MumInBeds · 08/03/2011 21:16

You'll feel a lot better with the doctor if you have things to back you up. With that in mind could you keep a diary over the next few days both of food and drink and also how your ds seems in himself before and after food?

CaptainNancy · 08/03/2011 21:17

111 is tall for a just turned 4yo!
My DD is 5, and 111, and on 60th I think... (though girl obv)

Original poster
wideratthehips · 08/03/2011 21:20

yes i do have dreams of him play rugby for scotland,
he can tuck a ball under his arm and CHARGE!

and he has a gorgeous scottish name/surname too!

he seems to be near the top of the chart for height too, feel better now but
still wondering why hes always soooo hungry?

OP posts:
SeeJaneKick · 08/03/2011 21:24

He does sound tall....I think you need to see the GP to set your mind at rest especially about him going white....does sound like low blood sugar.

He'll be fine with you as his Mum...you're on the case.

weegiemum · 08/03/2011 21:24

Oh, if its for Scotland then he can be the prop while my ds is the winger!

(and can fight off my top grade dd1 who is the only girl in her team and cursing the fact they won't let her stay in the "normal" tam and are going to make her play with girls!)

Maryz · 08/03/2011 21:32

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
wideratthehips · 08/03/2011 21:41

maryz

brilliant advice re fruit and sugar and bloods

i'm going to have a re think

the other two have shreddies/weetabix and home made bread toasted with butter but he has weetabix and toast with jam

lunch is either carrot soup or hummous and ham pitta bread (not very exciting)

but i save the exciting stuff for supper when we are all together...this evening it was mackerel cous cous and salsa verde (sounds a bit arsey but not really!!)

i don't add ANY salt to my cooking as i don't like the flavour

you've all been brilliant thanks so much, i feel much better now and will go armed with food diary...wonder what the doc will make of his suppers??? Grin

OP posts:
Noddyrocks · 08/03/2011 21:52

Wider, it sounds as though you do feed him healthily.
I don't really have any advice, but there are also 5 children in my family. My brothers are very slim as is my older sister, I was very slim as a child (though not any more!) But my younger sister was always overweight and has grown up being overweight. Mum NEVER gave us any unhealthy food, she made everything herself an chocolate was for birthdays and christmas! So what I am saying is that if you are feeding him healthily don't try and blame yourself as it could be a different problem or maybe he is just a big lad. My sister actually has PCOS now (I am not sure if this had anything to do with the weight at that young age) but I know it does cause obesity. Maybe discuss it with your Dr as the others said. Is he very active?

cornsilkee · 08/03/2011 21:56

Sounds like my ds at that age. He wants to eat all the time as well - think I'll follow Mary z's advice and see if that helps - not to loose weight so much, but more so that he's not always hungry. I inputted his data into the NHS site and according to that he's a healthy weight despite being in clothes 3 years older.

cornsilkee · 08/03/2011 21:57

lose weight

Original poster
wideratthehips · 08/03/2011 21:59

hes not as active as he should be (thinking of what his brother was like) and he can't run as fast as others. pre school have said to me that he wont do more than one rep of physical activity that they are doing...i think this is more down to i've tried it once and i cant be bothered to do it again

he isn't a lazy child he just doesn't run around like mad all the time as some boys do.

wonder if i will look back in amazement if/when he is a gangly teenager!

OP posts:
Altaira · 08/03/2011 22:02

Looks like he is on the 98th centile for height, but quite a bit above 99.6th centile for weight.

Some really good advice from maryz, would probably be useful to discuss further with a paediatric dietician- GP can refer.

You sound like quite an active family, do you get out together every day? It would be good to look at how much exercise he is getting in the week, as well as looking at diet. Could also add up any screen time and cut down on this if more than 2 hours a day for him.

Altaira · 08/03/2011 22:06

sorry, cross posted with you! More activity prob needed from him to keep his weight stable, until his height catches up with his weight.

mummyosaurus · 10/03/2011 11:41

I put a watch on this thread as I had my suspisions about my DS

He is 4 and 2 mths. He went to hospital for a check on something unrelated this morning (all fine) and I got the nurse to weigh and measure him.

He is 113.2 cm tall (pretty tall) and weighs 24.34 kg. He is 98 percentile which comes up as obese.

He was 10 lb at birth, so a big baby too. Great appetite. I am overweight (so feeling guilty as I know the statistics for kids with an overweight parent).

We eat pretty healthily but I don't deny the odd biscuits or crisps. Especially if others are having them as I don't want to make any issue out of it. We have puddings but it's usually fruit.

I read with interest the post about less sugar at breakfast. He currently has apple juice, low sugar cereal, yogurt and fruit. So I am going to try scrambled egg on toast for breakfast for a bit.

I would like some opinions about sweeteners? Splenda? I have previously thought a little sugar is better but in these circumstances? A bit of splenda in porridge? What are your thoughts? I would not tell DS about the change.