Letter from school, borderline overweight 5 year old

[Astressedmumoftwo]

My little lad is newly 5 and was weighed and measured in school. It came back as healthy bmi, but if he'd had a bigger lunch I suspect he would have been classed as overweight {as in like a pound or two off of being overweight at most} and this has worried me.
He's always been tall and bigger built, he's not a thin child, but neither did I think he was verging on overweight? He eats well and is active. I've seen a few of these and people say the kids are always overweight but the parents are blind to it, so I guess I was wondering if people do think he is subjectively and I just don't see it?

imgur.com/VPdD0ne

^ Picture. Appreciate he's clothed so not as easy to tell but I don't want to share an unclothed one.

So he's not overweight but is a healthy weight? Why are you worrying when he isn't overweight at all?

He is not overweight though plus kids fill out and the grow taller .... of your truly concerned just make sure he has limited chocolate sweets/ cake ( if at all as he may not ? ) not too much sugary fruit etc but honestly it’s a guide not the law ... don’t panic he is bound to grow 2inchs soon and be underweight

Looks fine to me.

This is happening so much. Healthy children are are being deemed overweight worrying parents.

DS got weighed in reception. He was just in the overweight catergory on the 91st percentile if I’d remember right. I ignored the letter and forgot about it. He has never looked overweight, I admit he’s not skinny built but he is slim (if that makes sense) and actually in a size smaller clothes for his age.

He is 8 now and he has got considerably taller which has made him look leaner too.

We got this too, Ds2 has a huge appetite and is not naturally as active as our other dcs so it wasn't a shock.

The height thing can be a bit misleading - slightly overweight kids tend to grow faster than they would if slim, but then slow down (this is also partly why there is so much early puberty these days). He clearly isn't a huge kid, it's up to you to judge whether he is who he is, or whether (like my Ds2) he eats well but it's a helpful reminder to keep an eye on portion sizes / activity levels.

I think it's good they do this as there is a major issue with obesity, and it really is hard to keep some kids healthy when there is so much unhealthy food about and so many sedentary entertainment options. Doesn't mean every kid who gets picked out needs help, but hopefully it means that for some that do, their parents are made aware and hopefully given support.

He looks perfectly normal too me. Not necessarily slim , although that may be the clothing but definitely average.

My son probably has a BMI if around 50. I would say he is average too. He has no fat on him but is a little bit stockier than his sister.

My eldest I would say is slim.
I think her BMI is around 11 so she is a the lower end of the healthy weight range.’she would probably be about 50 percentile for her weight / age but she is taller than average.
I will actually need to keep an eye on her as her BMI was about 19 at the reception weigh in so is on the way down

Should say there BMI is not 11 / 50 but they are on those percentiles

Don't worry

My DS was "overweight" at 5 ( no really, he was fine IMO)

Now he's the lankiest of lanky teenagers

I think bmi for 5yr olds is too rough a measure, DS was big-boned (big head, big hands, big feet) due to 6ft+ parents

He was always a "big" kid, but never fat iyswim

I remember throwing that patronising letter I got in the bin at school

The letter is not from the school. It is from the NHS. The height and weight checks are merely administered at the school.

We have just had this at our 27 month check. She is 98th centile for height and weight. Always has been since birth. Apparently she is classed as obese according to the NHS BMI chart. I was devastated to be honest. She eats a very healthy diet, always active. The HV has said to control food and portion sizes and they will be back to weigh her again in a couple of months and if she isn't under for her BMI they will refer her to a dietician. I am fuming and very upset. People who I have told are amazed that they have said this. She has a toddler pot belly which is normal but you can see her ribs etc....