Letter from school nurse saying ds overweight - I want you to look at a photo and tell me he isn't!

[Wallace]

Just to make sure i am not deluding myself

Letter from school said his BMI is 18.9 which puts him on the 98th centile and they will review in 6 months.

He was 5 in July and is 113cm tall and 24.2kg.

He is very very active - doesn't stop moving all day. Very athletic - been riding a bike since he was 2, swimming independently since he was 3. Spends most of his free time riding his bike or kicking a football around.

Photo looks like he is pulling his tummy in, he wasn't, but he was stretching up to throw something.

He certainly doesn't look overweight, but there must be a reason he's so heavy. I know if my older son had been as active as yours at that age he would have been really, really skinny. My younger son though has more my DH's body type and looks like he'll put on more muscle and be more stocky.

I wouldn't poo poo it, but try and find out what sort of body type he has.

Maybe if he stops being so active as he grows he might have a tendency to become obese.

I think it would actually be easier to tell with a photo of him sitting or standing normally.

oops, forgot about the firewall (oh well, at least it works, like smoke alarms, I wouldn't remember to test it if I didn't burn something at least weekly).

Right I've put pic of DS's lovely reception-age tummy on my profile, now, (I think) let me know if that wasn't successful.

He looks meaty, but not fat.

ragged, he just looks like he still has a bit of toddler tum!

I might see if I can get another photo of ds sitting still (doesn't happen often...)

If he asks why I need a photo of him with no clothes on I will tell him some strangers on the internet asked me to do it....

Nobody can tell from a couple of photos...they're not in context...being on the 98th centile for weight shouldn't be a problem if he's tall enough to carry it...but even if he ISN'T he's 4 and they need to back the eff off if you ask me. They don't level out properly at such an early age...and they''re really practically toddlers for a while yet!

see THIS is why I refused health checks for DS1 at school.

if they aren't going to look at the child as a whole, and interpret results correctly then wtf is the point in doing it?
all they do is scare/worry/annoy parents with healthy children.

my friend had a similar letter. her little girl is skinner than your son Wallace!! it's bloody ridiculous.

"if they aren't going to look at the child as a whole, and interpret results correctly then wtf is the point in doing it?"

They're asking to follow up in 6th months aren't they? To me, this indicates that a concern has been raised, but that they won't look into it further for a little while, which sounds OK to me.

I have not had a child measured in the scheme so I don't know what happens at the 6th month review. Can anyone enlighten me?

My DS is much the same. Going by weight alone the dr was a bit hmmm...but then he saw him undressed and said he's just quite muscular, which he is.

he looks muscular, esp his legs. but a child of this age shouldn't have a toddler's tum, really.
a paed once explained to me that children under 1 should be chubby, under two stretching out + toddler belly, from 3y skinny as can be without cushioning fat. she also said that most children she sees nowadays are too fat (not neccessarily too heavy) and therefore parents get a anxious when their child is a normal skinny.

In our pct - active interventions only seem to take place if there is either a failure to thrive - very low percentiles - or more than 2 centile difference between weight and height - monitored over a period of time to take into consideration growth spurts etc
Our 6 month check, never materialised. I was told that my DS1 was too tall for his weight! - his weight was fine for his age.
With DS2 i had a paediatrician look up at him when he entered the room and said "i expected to see a fat child" .
BMI is only an indication - and should be viewed as such. It would be like telling most rugby players that they are at a serious health risk (apart from breakages that is ) for having high BMIs

last time there was a thread like this the child was distinctly on the podgy side. Yours really isn't. Ignore.

mousy - I was referring too raggd's ds with the toddler tum.

95th centile weight, and 75th centile height. I must check the measurements though, because last time he was measured - in nursery - they had him 4cm smaller than his real height.

I am not worried about his weight. I know he eats a balanced diet and gets plenty of exercise. Interested in seeing what they say in 6 months...

These sort of things make my blood boil - you are NOT deluding yourself, your Son doesn't look in the slightest bit over weight

he looks like a very healthy boy & as he's so athletic will be more muscular & muscle weighs more than fat & the stupid system just isn't allowing for that, just as it doesn't allow for bigger framed heavy boned kids either, its way past time the powers that be used some common sense in these matters

you could either make an issue out of it & write back letting them know how inaccurate their methods are & how abysmally they miscalculate your DSs health status & how things like this can do DCs harm - I would

or just ignore it - its total b@ll@xs

I have teenagers and my kids were never weighed on had their bmi worked out. How is this nowadays? Do they regularly weigh all childre now?

Your son looks fine to me.