Help with an overweight toddler

[Mushroo]

My 22 month old is overweight and whenever I try and raise it with the GP etc I just get brushed off and told it’s too early to be worried. But, I’m not sure that’s true?

Her BMI is 99th percentile - and she weighs about 12.5kg (about 80th percentile) and height is about 80cm (20th percentile). They might not be the exact right figures but thereabouts.

She just loves food and has eaten large portions since we weaned her at 6months. There’s no juice, chocolate, crisps, cake at all but maybe too many carbs?

Yesterday she had:
Breakfast: a weetabix, small scattering of Rice Krispies (about a teaspoon as she likes them but I don’t think they’re particularly a great breakfast), a tablespoon of full fat Greek yogurt with chia seeds and strawberries.

Nursery: see photo

Dinner at home: roast chicken, potatoes and peas.

I think the problem is she will just eat what she enjoys with no sign of getting full really! So she ate probably 3 or 4 potatoes at dinner which is what I would eat, but as she’s eating her veg and chicken too she genuinely seems that hungry.

I would say she probably has too many carbs, but cutting down carbs for a toddler seems wrong?

Actively level wise she’s at nursery all day, and I encourage her to walk there and back (it’s about a 0.3 mile walk) but she is not naturally a particularly active child and will resist walking.

Any advice? Am I right to be worried about this and cutting portions down?

She is constantly asking for snacks which I try and cut down, but she will often have a babybel after nursery, or some nut butter (she’s a little weirdo who just loves it on a spoon 🤷‍♀️)

@Mushroo I had this problem with my first and it was on me that I hadn't really grasped that the tea they were giving them at nursery was so substantial, it really was designed to be the final meal of the day - mostly so parents who were on grab & go at 5.55pm then a 30-40 min commute could basically pile them straight in bed, as they'd need to be up at 6.30am to be out the house in time for nursery drop off at 7.30 for breakfast club (or 8 for normal working hours).

We were closer & I'd normally give a dinner as well before a later bedtime. It added up over months - but to reassure, also unwound as they grew over then next year or 2 as well. Now exceptionally beanpole like!

Suggest maybe having a run around in the garden or stop at the playground on way home to burn off some more energy & make her more tired, then maybe a small snack with milk before bed, but not a sit down meal with both of you?

It will need a bit of tweaking, but maybe wake her a little earlier so she's tired out earlier & work on getting her used to no late dinner - will probably make life easier if she's done & dusted with food by 6.30pm when baby comes along as well?

Don't make a thing of it, maybe just 'that's enough for now, have a water, sometimes we feel hungry when all we need is more to drink'. It will take a few months to lock in new habits & grow into her weight a bit, but fewer calories in and an extra window of activity once a day will make plenty of difference over a decent period of time.

Tbh with what she eats at nursery it doesn’t sound like she should be eating at all when she is at home, but seems cruel of your eating and she is hungry. I would only have breakfast lunch and dinner so I go with the same rule with my 2. If they have a school dinner and then a snack at after school club they don’t tend to eat when they get home.

Is it really though? 80th for weight is 80th regardless of the height?

I would suggest you don’t highlight it as it might cause more damage…If you do need to raise it, make sure as she grows that she isn’t in earshot for exemple…

For the food, it is good. A little bit of everything goes a long way and that is what she does. She educates herself and as she grow will become more interested in a smaller amount of taste so don’t worry. As she grows, she will also get more exercise!

You really shouldn’t worry about it.

Good luck!

Bedtime is far too late! Put her in bed as soon as you get home after she’s had a tick bath/shower. She doesn’t need an extra diner and at that time of night all she needs to know is it’s bath and bedtime. 13 hours a night sleep at that age is essential and she will be also sting more because she is overtired

I’d agree with this. I couldn’t eat this much without gaining weight. I’d ask them to remove all the carb snacks and replace them with veggies and fruit. I’d also not give a cooked evening meal after all that day time food - fruit, yogurt, half or even 1/4 of a ham sandwich.

Never understood why a desert after every meal, either. We had a pudding on Sundays (plus high days and holidays). There was fruit if we were hungry.

If she had eaten all that at Nursery does she really needs roast chicken potatoes and peas after Nursery. That seems a LOT! Breakfast, lunch, dinner, tea, snacks and then a second dinner at home...a full roast dinner!

Almost 2 stone at under 2 is shocking. You are the one feeding her so stop giving her so much food or swap to healthier options.

Hmmm I would look into getting her checked for Prader-willi syndrome if sges eating loads and doesnt seem to be getting full.

I've worked in nutrition for infants and young children and you are asking all of the right questions, but j really don't think you have anything to worry about.

In the first instance, I would suggest keeping what you're doing but gradually up the percentage of vegetables and fruit in the meals. At the end of the day this is a baby, not yet two. RELAX! If it is still a problem in two years time, addres it, but for now take it easy.

Your are doing well feeding your DD all good food. I would replace the tablespoon of Greek yogurt by a dessert spoon and half the seeds so that she want see too much of a change. Babybel light, however, cut out nut butter is high in fat. I like the idea of sitting down for an evening meal and personally I would not cut is out but would give smaller potato portions but more green veg. The more children eat the more their stomachs stretch. Good luck.

This is really helpful thank you and reassuring it worked itself out in the end.

She ate less at nursery today than usual, so for dinner she’s had a tablespoon of mash potatoes, green beans and a very small amount of chicken and we were done by 6pm. (We do eat food other than chicken and potatoes 😂)

DH currently doing bedtime which we are trying to creep earlier…

@Nearly50omg to answer questions on sleep, she generally doesn’t wake up until 8am, so whilst 8:30 / 9pm is definitely too late, I’m not worried about her overall sleep, she does an hour nap as well.

So the amount she’s getting is about right, but I would much prefer 7:30 /8pm - 7am.

Both me and DH are night owls so I’m also aware it might just be her natural preference.

I wouldn’t cut the Greek yoghurt. I would cut the weetabix to 1 or half with whole milk. Protein will fill her up. So will drinks.

Also she may be near to a growth spurt

Can you offer a drink instead of a snack? A glass of water or semi skimmed milk may sort the problem out. Often we confuse thirst for hunger pangs.

Adults can’t run away from a bad diet. But to a certain extent kids can. My DD ate more than yours at that age and had a lower-than-halfway BMI. Because she never stopped moving. Even watching TV, she would be doing a one legged plank half the time!

On the weekend, what exercise is she getting?

Also, cutting the yogurt and chia just leaves the carbs! I’d look at more protein and fat (which are satiating) not carbs (which aren’t for many people, not all).

I may have missed this in your post, but what is she drinking? I’m guessing she was probably a formula for Baby and your position. I would cut out all sugar other than fruit fresh fruit.

i Think it’s great that you’re on the ball with it. Childhood obesity is on the rise (still) and we need to do being more to keep children fit and healthy. It’s unfair to set them up for a miserable health life.

she eats a good varied diet by the sounds of it, so I don’t think much needs change on the way of what she eats, but instead the when and how much. There are picture charts online based on age on what a portion of X food looks like for their age, that would be a good place to start to come to terms with how little a portion they actually need to be satiated. We’re not aiming for kids to feel full, same for adults and why people gain weight so easily is because we lack the ability to know when to stop. Feeling full, isn’t healthy.

So cut down the portion sizes while she still young enough to not be screaming at you that’s she’s hungry 🤣 as cutting the habit is hard. You know from what she eats at nursery and home whether she will genuinely be hungry, or whether she needs a cup of water and something to do (being bored is often mistaken for feeling hungry)

she weighs the same as my nearly 6 year old daughter, but she was dinky and still is (and eats like a monster too🤣)

I agree with others, it’s the two dinners. My 2yo has a similar diet (including two breakfasts!) but we just give him a small snack after nursery.

Do not "cut carbs"
Children need carbs for proper growth and brain development. Their needs are entirely different from adults.
Instead, make sure all food not packaged/processed.

Instead of boxed cereal try sprouted grain bread/toast with a nut butter or steel cut oats with some butter or nut butter mixed in.
Continue to offer a variety of fruits/veg.
Try wild rice blends to add to meals, I add a bit of butter or extra virgin olive oil for my kids for flavour and fat.
You're on the right track avoiding junk food.
And increase activity via play, running around, walks.
They actually need 3 hours of activity a day.

Better for cuddling is the creepiest comment

You are right OP - family mealtimes are very important as the kids learn so many skills. It's also a time for you to actually connect. But you do need to stop the big portions and cut out all snacks at home. You can ask nursery to give her less too. And make sure she is getting a lot of exercise.

she just has water and sometimes milk at nursery.

She was breastfed with a very rare bottle of formula if I had to be away from her, but maybe one bottle once a fortnight.

She’s never had juice.

Hahaha! This is batshit stuff.
My 5 month old was 2 stone, same as my friend's daughter on her first day at school!
This was when my dd was only on my (vegan) milk. She was fat af. Her cheeks rested on her chest. She was a BABY.
Humans are all different.
The OPs child is healthy and has a love of food. This is to be celebrated. All this advice about restricting her food is bonkers and will only lead to issues down the road with food avoidance/having a body image complex.
OP, your GP has brushed your concerns aside because they aren't concerned. I would take this as an indication to not be concerned.