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Children's health

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Original poster

Is my lad fat?

27 replies

MeowImaCatfish · 09/07/2015 17:34

He's 28 months, weighs 3st, I'm not sure how tall he is but I'm 5ft10 and he's up to my hip, size 9 feet if that's relevant.. Is he fat and I'm not seeing it or is he ok..? His 27 month assessments next week. (Missed the original appointment as he was sick, the new appointment was the only date they could fit him in. Thanks

OP posts:
RoganJosh · 09/07/2015 17:38

It depends on his height. You need to look at both his height and weight in your red book or here:
www.rcpch.ac.uk/child-health/research-projects/uk-who-growth-charts/uk-who-growth-chart-resources-0-4-years/uk-who-0#0-4

If he's both tall and heavy then it's fine, for example. He should be on roughly the same centile line for both. If he is 25th centile for height but 91st for weight then he's too heavy for example.

RoganJosh · 09/07/2015 17:41

Looking at the chart he is off the top of the weight, so needs to be the same for his height - around 102cm.

Sirzy · 09/07/2015 17:43

That's more than my 5 year old weighs. Unless he was very tall I would imagine he is probably on the 'chubby' side

Original poster
MeowImaCatfish · 09/07/2015 18:05

I've just measured him and he's just about 102cm, does that mean he isn't fat rogan ? I'm useless with centile charts an numbers they confuse me.. I think I've got discalculia lol

OP posts:
Sidge · 09/07/2015 18:15

Yes he is overweight with a BMI on the 96th percentile.

That means is height and weight are disproportionate and he is heavier than he should be for his height and age.

Maybe have a look at his portion size and snacks.

RoganJosh · 09/07/2015 18:22

I don't think the BMI calculators really take height into account as the growth charts put him in proportion.

Original poster
MeowImaCatfish · 09/07/2015 18:51

Erm.. Think I might just wait for his assessment and ask.. I'm really confused. Thanks anyway guys :)

OP posts:
Sidge · 09/07/2015 18:58

They do; BMI is a ratio of height to weight and can be a valid tool for assessing "thinness" and "fatness".

He is off the charts for height and weight for his age, which in itself is an indicator for further assessment. Assuming his measurements are accurate he is potentially overnourished - overfed children grow faster and taller and may achieve their full height too early, but then weight can continue to increase. If you look at growth charts the lines for height and weight do not follow each other and start to diverge.

He is going to be tall if his mum is 5 foot 10, and he may well keep growing upwards without gaining weight but it may need some monitoring.

iwantgin · 09/07/2015 19:05

My DS was right on the 99th for height AND weight. He is now 17, and a lovely,slim 6footer.

I was expecting him to be much taller - but unless he has a growth spurt in the next two years - that'll be it.

Speak to the MW or GP if you are worried.

Original poster
MeowImaCatfish · 09/07/2015 20:14

Thank you gin :) my parents are 6ft and 6ft6, I'm 5ft10 and his daddy's 6ft1... I guess he'll grow up to be about 16ft tall Grin

OP posts:
Artandco · 09/07/2015 20:16

It does seem quiet large. In comparison my 5 year old is 3 stone, but 120 cm tall

Penfold007 · 09/07/2015 20:36

Fat is an unhelpful word but given the information you have provided your son is very overweight.

tobysmum77 · 09/07/2015 21:49

fgs he's only just 2 Confused and tall . Its totally normal for babies to be chubby.... just keep feeding him healthily and reassess in a year.

tobysmum77 · 10/07/2015 07:44

I've just done a full family weigh in, thinking about this thread. DD1 (6) is just reed thin so 120cm and 20kg so 12th centile for bmi and she really is slight and tiny I don't think 3st for 120 is average..... DD2 (3.5) is 99cm and 14.8kg. That puts her pretty much bang on 50th for bmi and op when she was your dc's age she was about 70th.

adoptmama · 10/07/2015 08:01

I think it very much depends on your child. DD2 is 5.5 and 105cm (so very small) and is 18.5kg. So although older she is not much taller or lighter than your son. She is under the care of numerous medical specialists for particular health problems (none of which factor in her weight). None of her doctors are concerned about her weight even though at one point her BMI classed her as obese (she did not look obese at all!!) and her height percentile was bottom 3% and weight was top 95%.

In other words, being heavy is not necessarily a health issue at this age or a medical concern.

If you are worried consult with your doctor. If you can honestly say to yourself that he is not eating a high fat/high sugar diet of processed foods but eating a healthy balanced diet with plenty of exercise then I would say try not to worry too much (but ask your doc if you need reassurance or are concerned there may be an underlying health issue).

00100001 · 10/07/2015 08:06

Can u post a photo?

slightlyconfused85 · 10/07/2015 08:17

He sounds heavy but possibly in proportion of he is tall. I have a very big dd age 2.8- she is 99cm tall and 2st 7 - this puts her at 98th percentile for height and 91st for weight. The HV is very happy that she's in proportion- in fact she looks very slim but feels heavy! She likes her food so I am just careful of her portion size and refined sugar intake.

Artandco · 10/07/2015 08:28

Oh and Ds doctor said he's fine at being tall but slim. He said it should be normal around 5 as they are growing tall, yet move so much they don't put on much weight.

Hence children not moving a lot become overweight quickly in comparison

tobysmum77 · 10/07/2015 08:49

He is fine art, but the point is he isn't average .... just like my similarly proportioned daughter isn't. It's only as 'normal' for a 5yo yo be 10th centile bmi as it is for one to be 80th. Both are healthy, both are fine. The ops son is 96th at just past 2 so Ok overweight according to that but if he drops 20 percentiles like my dd has in the next 18 months he is fine. I think at 5 the centiles are pretty reliable, at 2 I really don't buy it.

Alibabsandthe40Musketeers · 10/07/2015 08:56

Over consumption of calories also leads to growth upwards as well as outwards though. If a child is both tall AND heavy, then they are probably bigger than they should be.

My four year old is 105cm, and he weighs 2st 10lbs. He was a very chubby baby and is slimming down rapidly as he gets taller - he carries a lot of muscle and I can now count his ribs front and back. If he was still very plump at this height I would be worried.

Artandco · 10/07/2015 09:04

Toby - according to this chart age 5, he is 91st for height (120) and 75th for weight (20kg). That's hardly underweight, and very average imo

www.rcpch.ac.uk/system/files/protected/page/NEW%20Boys%202-18yrs%20(4TH%20JAN%202013).pdf

Artandco · 10/07/2015 09:07

Toby - your 6 year old is 75th, and 50th. Not 12th percentile

tobysmum77 · 10/07/2015 15:35

no its 12th percentile for BMI. So very very slim.

tobysmum77 · 10/07/2015 15:37

I used the bbc's child bmi calculator btw its easy to find :)

Pootles2010 · 10/07/2015 15:45

You can tell a lot by looking I think - can you see his ribs when he's standing normally?