Very overweight three year old

[BatmanFlewAway]

Help please!!
My DD is grossly overweight. She’s just turned 3 and is about 75th percentile for weight and 9th for height. She has rolls of fat on her stomach when she sits down.
Me and DH both slim though I’ve just had a baby and I haven’t lost all the weight yet and I’m eating a bit extra for breastfeeding.
She eats way less junk than other children her age at home but we don’t make a fuss when we do have biscuits etc. I’m deliberately blade to avoid bigging them up as a treat. I try and make watermelon and pineapple our treats to get excited about.
I think she’s fat because of portion size.
She was born chunky (I was v fat in pregnancy with her. I put on 4.5 stone which I lost afterwards). She was at nursery aged 1 and eats a lot there. I keep asking the staff to reduce portions but there is some evidence that they don’t (bloated stomach and giant poos afterwards). She also has toddler diarrhoea which we have been unable to find a cause for.
I am so worried about her health. How do I do it?! I had avoided saying the word fat for fear of eating disorders but now have started to say it. She’s howling for more cereal after having some alpha bites, Rice Krispies and half a weetabix.
She doesn’t have milk other than at breakfast.
We don’t have pudding most of the time but sometimes fruit.
She asks for crackers a lot. She probably has 3 crackers a day. She doesn’t need a snack as she eats well (good balanced diet at mealtimes) but nursery and friends have snacks so it is hard to avoid entirely. I’ve given popcorn in the hope that it’s light and doesn’t make her tummy full - I think she’s got used to her tummy being v full all the time.

[NotAPuffin]

For exercise she can do while you're feeding, try gonoodle.com. My kids do it in school and have started asking to do it every evening at home too. It's got lots of different styles of videos to move along to: dance, yoga, mindfulness stuff, and just plain throwing yourself around the place. It's good fun : )

[Keepingupwiththejonesys]

My three year old has one weetabix and a portion of fruit or one toast and a banana for breakfast... Its more than enough.

What size portion are her main meals. If my three year old has a sandwich its one piece of bread with filling, two crackers and some cucumber sticks. Again, that's normal for a 3 year old. We also walk at least 2 hours each day. A little chub on a three year old is normal, rolls aren't

[GeorgeTheHamster]

Full fat Greek yoghurt and honey is probably the best thing. Sorry, I know it isn't pre mixed but with a squirty honey it isn't too bad.

[BatmanFlewAway]

The main meals are similar to what everyone else is serving I think but more often than not she eats all of it. We sometimes have seconds depending on what it is. I think breakfast and cracker snacks must be the main culprit though I don’t see portion sizes at nursery (except that they are large coming out of the other end!).
Gonoodle seems great - thank you!

[Luckymummy22]

Some kids are naturally bigger when they are younger and then slim out as they get older.
I think all you can do is try and limit the unhealthy snacks / meals as much as possible.
And encourage activity.
My 3 year old will have more porridge than me in the morning or at least 3 weetabix.
He’s fussy but would happily eat 2+ big plates of pasta or 2 baked potatoes.
It’s not the 1st time he’s raised the fridge and eaten 6 mini yogurts.
It can be hit or miss with him though.

He’s not at all overweight but i’ve never seen a child with as much energy.
I know his diet could be improved and I am trying to do that but fussiness is a major hurdle at moment.

Also in my experience, nurseries will give far smaller portions than I would. So I would be really surprised if she was over eating there.

Is she picking up on your anxiousness about her weight? And saying her tummy is sore?

The chances are that if you are slim then she will be when she’s older.

She’s 3. Worry if she has a weight problem when she’s 10 or so.

[LemonysSnicket]

She’s 3. I think you’re overworking the ‘not creating a food reward system’.

‘She stops when her tummy is full’ could easily become ‘mum doesn’t like it when I eat’.

Take her to a GP if worried and believe them if they say she’s fine.

[shewolfmum]

Well done for losing that baby weight op. So...up protein and good fats...nuts and seeds. Eggs excellent for brekkie. Lots of veg ...limit fruit if she is happy eating veg. I would give things like turkey and veg...salmon and veg and i would cut grains. Not completely but give whole grains like quinoa and spelt instead of refined.

[Rach5l]

It's so difficult to say no isn't it. I think you have to steel yourself & do it though. Tackle the whining as if it's about anything, I can't understand you when you talk in that voice etc
Get her a nice water bottle & say have some water if you're still not full. Glass of water before each meal or snack.
The typical day sounds great so not sure if you're fibbing yourself about the amount of snacks she's having?
Really hard with a baby but can you get out for a walk after each meal? Or to the park?
Maybe she's bored rather than hungry?

[maybebabybee]

Please don't give quinoa. Read about what our ridiculous over consumption of this fashionable food is doing to the poor communities overseas who have been eating it for centuries.

[lougle]

Is she drinking well, and are you certain that the diarrhoea she's having is actually diarrhoea and not overflow from constipation? Toddlers can often present with diarrhoea when they are actually constipated, especially if they are having a lot of high-fibre food without adequate fluids.

I have to say that the centiles you've given do put her right on the cusp of very overweight. If you visit the health visitor they will be able to advise you.

[LondonLassInTheCountry]

Offer more veg.
Its more filling and healthier than salad and most fruits.

Offer "Raw" Veg like carrotts and brocolli as well as Corn and peppers,

Tomatoes and cucember are easy too.

[LondonLassInTheCountry]

Your brother is a GP and he tells you to tell a 3 year old that she's fat ?!?!?!?!

She maybe over weight, but this is no fault of her own and that is just evil!

[HappyHedgehog247]

My daughter was always starving at breakfast time at 3. I think their tummies are still quite little. I hate the thought of a child being told to have water if she is still hungry! However we didn't do rice crispies or things-porridge most mornings with some sliced banana or apple on top. Eggs when time. I'd be interested in whether the GP is worried.

[Somersetter]

Have you checked her BMI on the NHS calculator? www.nhs.uk/tools/documents/healthy_weight_v3/healthy_weight.html?variant=phone

If she genuinely is overweight then you're right to address it now.