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Children's health

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Original poster

Can an 18 month old be too chunky?

11 replies

likessleep · 19/04/2009 13:46

PFB, so would appreciate other experiences here.
DS has an appetite, always has. He eats healthily - meals such as shepherds pie, casseroles, stir fries, fish pie, soups etc etc and I cook from scratch.
He also has snacks (such as rice cakes/yoghurt/fruit) and small beaker of milk x3 a day.
He was late to walk - started around 16-17 months and I always thought he'd slim out once he got more active and it didn't bother me. Recently, we keep getting 'he's a buster' comments from people and it's getting to the point now where I'm thinking should I change anything I am doing?
He's 91st centile for weight, 50th for length - but that was a couple of months ago (just as he had started walking).
I'm rambling, but do I need to worry? He has only just tried his first bit of chocolate last weekend and can't remember when he last had a biscuit, so he doesn't eat sugary snacky foods really.
Any thoughts / experiences would be appreciated ... thanks

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rubyslippers · 19/04/2009 13:47

DS was chunky until he hit 2

he only walked at 17 months - they don't slim down immediately

he is now 2.9 and slender

Original poster

likessleep · 19/04/2009 13:49

thanks rubyslippers - that is reassuring! i don't want to change his diet, as he eats well, although he does enjoy his fruit. did your ds have such a difference in centiles between weight and length?

OP posts:

ilovetochat · 19/04/2009 13:51

my dd is 21 months and small and we always get comments too, how tiny she is. Equally when my dp sees other babies he will comment how huge they are, he only means cos he is used to dd and doesnt see lots of toddlers but i have explained to him some moms may be insulted, he doesnt mean it in a bad way at all!
I wouldnt worry, they are all different and his diet sounds really healthy.
What are his portions like cos i have noticed friends giving their kids enormous portions and i wonder if its too much.
also now he is walking get him walking outside a lot as exercise is good for them whatever their size.

rubyslippers · 19/04/2009 13:52

yes - he was average length and deffo heavier than average, so there was a difference in percentiles

DS has/is a great eater and milk monster

Original poster

likessleep · 19/04/2009 13:59

i was discussing portion size with dh earlier, as i think we eat too much ourselves. i put ds's food on a toddler plate and about half of an adult portion. so he'll have half a salmon fillet or half a chicken breast. today he had ratatouille for lunch, with about 10 bits of pasta, lots of carrots and peas (i tend to give lots of veg) and a good tablespoon of ratatouille mix. maybe it is too much (but he didn't finish it all)? plus he often nibbles on a breadstick whilst he is waiting.

dh is 6ft2 and quite broad, but i am 5ft1 and a size 10. so genetically, difficult to work out his tendency!

thing is i do like to feed people, anyone who visits often leaves with their top button of their jeans undone, so i think i do have to think more about portion size for ds.

i know comments aren't meant in a hurtful way, i guess it's because i always said "he'll lose it when he is walking", now he is walking and it doesn't seem to be shifting.

bit worried about going to hv ... you know what they're like!!

OP posts:

ilovetochat · 19/04/2009 14:03

i think they say they should be able to hold their portion of whatever in their palm.
I wouldnt take him to the hv as long as he is active.

Original poster

likessleep · 19/04/2009 14:05

so ilovetochat ... his whole dinner should fit in his palm

OP posts:

HecatesTwopenceworth · 19/04/2009 14:05

yes, an 18 month old can be too chunky - I have seen some clearly obese toddlers.

Is your 18mnth old too chunky - I dunno. 91 to 50 sounds like a very big gap indeed, but without seeing him, it's going to be hard for anyone to even hazard a guess.

I give my 8 and 9 yr olds about a half adult portion btw. I can't accuratly recall what I gave them as toddlers, but I think it was less than half - and they were still proper chubsters

ilovetochat · 19/04/2009 14:10

i believe the meat portion should fit in their palm, the vegetable portion should fit in their palm, they dont need to eat as much as people think and if you keep feeding them they get used to larger amounts and need more.

Original poster

likessleep · 19/04/2009 14:14

okay, i am going to look at the portion size he eats. i've been so concerned about getting variety into him/no salt etc and just let him take what he wants (as i thought they didn't eat more than they needed?). but even when he was breastfed, i had to physically remove him after 45 minutes as i knew he'd had enough. maybe he just finds it difficult to gauge when he doesn't need any more?
thanks for your honesty and for posting.

OP posts:

ilovetochat · 19/04/2009 14:49

i think they have a check with hv at about 2 anyway but im sure he is fine.

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