My child's obese : /

[Youcanhumpmyleg]

Arghhhh Ava's always been tall she's the tallest in her class she's 116cm and weighs 4 stones !!! Nhs website says this is obese, she does pig out and is pretty active what else can I do to keep her weight down, she does look chubby but I never thought it an issue till I weighed her this morning !! Anyone in the same position ?

I would just double check because while tall is fine (honestly, my dd is the youngest in her class, she's also the tallest by quite a margin, she wears age 9 stuff comfortably and she's just had her 6th birthday), 4 stones for a 3yo is really v big indeed. And height is v difficult to measure in a 3yo. Surprisingly so.

Get a clear picture of what you're dealing with and go from there. Portion sizes and exercise are the usual goals but I'd just have a wee double check of your figures first.

You can upload a picture on here if you want. Just go to your profile and do it there.

It is v difficult for people to 'see' their own children. I see dd in the bath and am often shocked by how skinny she is. She's not skinny of course, she's normal. But we're so used to people being overweight that we forget that on a child you should be able to see ribs and collar bones. DD is whippet thin and people occasionally comment about 'feeding her up' but she's perfectly in proportion.

You can upload photos onto your profile.

"I don't think two slices of toast and scrambled eggs is loads"

I think your problem may be that you overestimate how much food such a young child needs, and by now she has become accustomed to overeating.

And she does not need a pudding after every dinner. My 8 year old boy cant manage a whole chicken breast. My 11 year old boy can, but then he is so full he looks unwell!

To be blunt: If you are overweight, you eat too much. Your own portions are likely to be too big, and you scale it down to your dd, but it is still too much for such a young child. She is only 31/2! She (and her stomach with her) is a tiny percentage of your size.

You could possibly get her a portion control plate, so you could retrain your eye to give her the correct portions?

If her weight gain has been very rapid and she was always a skinny baby, all the more reason to take to the GP.

we have dinner like a chicken breast and veg/salad hers isn't the same portion as ours, her puddings are yogurt or fruit same for tea, no freezer stuff just veg and whatever else

I may be misreading but that seems to me like she has 2 substantial hot meals a day with a pudding after?

Thanks I appreciate the messages, everyone thinks I'm Being a tad paranoid but I want to nip this in the bud before it gets worse lol ! I will do my measurements again, ill do the portion side of things and up her activity see what happens if not ill take her to the docs, she doesn't get anything to eat when she's with her dad, at her nans I don't think she's spoilt either I will try and ask her to cut down on anything she does give her, ( I don't think she's given anything tho) as its only for a couple of hours

Good point Sirzy.

How many meals per day does she have? Can you give examples of each?

She doesn't have a pudding after every meal but if she asks for anything it will only be a yogurt or fruit, we do have 3 meals a day thought that was the norm ?

No I don't think you are paranoid.

If the measurements are correct, you have every reason to be very concerned and to take her to the GP.

Our lunch times aren't as big as what I'd make for tea

3 meals a day is the norm but only one 'big' meal.

DS is 3.5 and in a typical day he will have

Breakfast - 1 slice of wholemeal toast, sometimes a banana if he is still hungry

Snack - carrot or cube of cheese

Dinner - tuna sandwich (1 slice of bread) or small jacket potato or bowl of pasta salad (couple of spoonfuls) normally with a couple of cherry tomatos

Snack - sometimes he has a bit of fruit others he won't have anything

Tea - side plate with whatever we are having followed by a yoghurt (this is only because he needs it to take a medication, we are trying to move him to tablets so we can stop this)

right ive oppened my facebook album to public for avas album you can look at the photos from this link www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.118786135611.210288.674605611&type=3 ill put it back to private in a bit x

www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.118786135611.210288.674605611&type=3

some girls are bigger than others

Three cooked meals a day unusual.

To give you an example of my ds aged 4.8.

Breakfast: Bowl of cereal with milk (full fat). eg. 1 weetabix or muesli with yoghurt.

Mid morning:Two plain biscuits or fruit given to him at school (by the teacher).

Lunch: two slices of bread with ham or cheese.

After school: fruit followed by two biscuits or a belgian waffle (very popular here).

Tea time: Half a plate of pasta or potatoes with vegetables.
Dessert: Usually don't bother.

Milk before bed.

The rest of the time he drinks water.

To give you an idea of his activities:

Roller skating lesson twice a week. Swimming lesson once a week.
Two mile walk most days. More walking during the holidays. Gym class in school twice a week.

She looks like a happy and beautiful girl. But getting "podgier" with age, I would say. Look at the pictures of her wearing the green dresses, f ex.

My boys are so much older it is perhaps not helpful to list what they eat, but it is much in the region of what Kelda lists. But they have school dinners.

I've just checked your photos. She is gorgeous and very happy looking.

I would be surprised if she is obese. She MAY be a little overweight but it is hard to tell from the photos.

It does look as those she has grown a lot recently and she does look older then her age.

If I were you, I would get her weighed at the GP. I find it hard to beleive she is four stone.

i dont think shes obese. I think she looks older than her age though. She looks tall and healthy.

I dont think she looks even particularly chubby

I think there is more danger in making her think she is too big, and making her start watching what she eats at 3 years old, than there is from her not fitting into government percentile charts perfectly.

Shes a person, not a machine, and we come in all shapes and sizes. What on earth would a doctor do.

You look like a lovely family :)

I have a dd exactly the same age. She's pretty tall for her age, not sure of her height, but she weighs 2 stone 12. You little girl looks a bit sturdier than mine, but not massive.
I think having whether meals are cooked or not is a bit of a red herring. The question is whether she's getting an appropriate level of calories for her age and a good balanced diet. The balance of what you describe sounds fine to me, but if she's too big then she may be eating too much.

I agree that it'd be a good idea to see your GP or HV, just to get her checked and agree a sensible approach.

Good luck

I think by the last photos she is certainly starting to look chubby. Can you see her ribs clearly when she has no top on?

Branleuse there is no need to make a 3 year old watch what they eat, that should be done by the parents. There is no reason a 3 year old should even be aware that changes are being made but making changes now should set her up for a healthy attitude towards food, portion size and exercise.

Oh yes defo bra I would never say anything Infront of her, I would never ever knock her confidence, I call her beautiful everyday because she is :) weights never mentioned to her :) and that's the way it'll stay ! I'm so proud of her

I appreciate the advice and its been took on board thanks

Turn off the tv and electronic games etc do other things. This will increase activity and could be all it takes if your dd is eating healthy foods for most of the time.

Flanbase I'm not a complete tool she doesn't sit Infront of the tv or games ! Some of us have to work so I don't know her movements 24/7 if you'd read through the posts you'd know her activities !

She's gorgeous but I do think you can see that she gets plumper with age. I don't think she's obese though.