chubby toddler - others' experiences?

[parakeet]

My two-and-a-quarter-year-old daughter is nearly on the 98th centile for weight. She was born on the 50th, was breast-fed, and shot up within the first few months of birth and has stayed there ever since. As she is on the small side height-wise she looks very chubby, particularly around the face. Health visitors and friends have all said "Don't worry, she'll lose weight once she starts walking" but she's been walking for a year now.

Needless to say, we make sure she has a healthy diet, no cakes or crisps in the house, just very occasional biscuit or sweet for a treat - e.g. per week about two biscuits and five Smarties (that's five single sweets, not five packets). She drinks a big bottle of (semi-skimmed) milk at night, and a couple of small cups in the day, or water (no juice). She eats loads of fresh fruit for snacks.

As you hear so much about obesity starting in childhood, I am worried we should be doing more to tackle the problem before it's too late. I am slightly overweight myself (BMI 26), so I know how hard it is to shift weight as an adult. I am desparate for her not to spend her teenage years agonising over her weight, as I did.

I'm not sure what else we could be doing, except perhaps get her doing more exercise. Anyway, has anyone else had this experience, and did they find their child's weight went down after the age of two?

Thanks for any replies

It really doesn't sound like anything to worry about. My best advice would be to stop getting her weighed at the hv, and stop looking at percentile charts!

I'll be honest, my ds (2.5) eats LOADS more sweet treats than that, he has juice, he loves cheese, he just generally eats quite a lot. He's got a bit of padding, he's not fat, BUT I know if I took him to the hv the scales would probably say he's fat because he's REALLY REALLY heavy, and it's mostly muscle and bone as he's very strong and never stops running/climbing.

In fact he's built exactly like his dad, stocky, heavy, solid, muscly, but not fat.

Bollocks to percentile charts, we're all different, best to go with your instincts, and if she's happy and active and you're feeding her as well as you say you are, I don't see a problem.

Also meant to say in the next few months she'll start getting a lot taller, and it'll coincide with more activity, and it'll probably all start evening out. They seem to grow outwards then upwards then outwards then upwards!

Thanks for these replies. James, I can see why you're not worried about your son because he's not fat. But my daughter really does look, well, chubby... And Riven, she is very energetic, but you know how long it takes to walk anywhere with a toddler, so it puts us off. However we probably should devote more time to walking her places.

Can't comment on your dd without seeing her (don't find percentiles terribly helpful), but would say my niece was a fat baby, a fat two-year-old and now she is a fat 11-year-old (once again don't know anything about percentiles just that she's always looked fat and still does). I would also urge you to go with your instincts - I think it would have been much better in the long run for my dn if my sil had tackled this when she was two. I'm not saying your dd is fat - I can't see her - but if you really think she is I would take action. It sounds like she has a healthy diet, but does she have massive portions - dn eats like a horse. If you think she needs to do more exercise I would start to encourage that now - dn has never been very active and being fat has led her to be less active - a vicious circle iyswim. Please don't flame me for suggesting she might be fat - I think if sil had had more honesty from everyone (health professionals included) it would have been a much happier outcome for dn.

Yeah I think if you personally have concerns (not bloomin charts) and you think she does look quite a bit chubbier than other children then it might be a good idea to try and get her to be more active, so walking as much as possible, lots of toddler groups, playground etc, perhaps a class or two like tumbletots or swimming? - I have no idea if you do all that already, this is just general advice.

Since you say she has a healthy diet I wouldn't cut her food down that much unless he eats massive portions. Does she eat lots of bread? Maybe it might be worth asking the hv for some tips.

Sounds like your DD has a good diet, and she may well have a growth spurt and suddenly look slimmer. But increasing her activity levels can't hurt, can it? It can be frustrating walking with a littlie, but the more they do it the better they get at walking alongside you at a reasonable pace. Good to start them swimming at that age too. And 'chasing' games are good of course.

oops, dithered and x-posted!

Watching this with interest because ds (nearly 2) is the same. I also heard "it'll drop off as soon as he starts walking" but it hasn't. DH is naturally "stocky" and I guess ds may have inherited this. It really concerns me and I watch what he eats like a hawk (it's not much in comparison to what I see other skinny toddlers eating!)

Gosh yes. DD was minute when she was born and lost weight for over a week, until the midwives made me give up bf and give her bottles. She got soooooooooo fat! I was a bit worried, but a friend had a dd a month before me and her's was a chubby too.

DD is 10 now. You wouldn't even have called her chubby by the time she was 6. She's pretty skinny now.

Sounds like you are doing all the right things, but as other posters have said, it is best to nip any potential problem in the bud. Now she is old enough to walk in a more or less straight line towards a destination (rather than lie on her front and drink from every puddle like my slightly younger DS2), perhaps try to ditch the buggy for short outings, and aim to gradually increase the amount of time she walks each day when you are doing your normal tasks. If she is difficult to control, you could consider reins (controversial I know)

Also, I'm sure you've thought of this, but watch portion size. A handful of pasta or a dessert spoon of mash potato is probably enough starch at a meal for most two year olds. You can bulk out meals with extra veg or protein.

OP, my friends son was fatter than the Michelin Man at 2 (and was on the 98th percentile for height, I think), but now at 9 1/2 he is a bit taller than average and strong and broad, but definitely not fat.

She was giving him shedloads of milk in addition to all the food he was eating, but he just seemed to burn it all off in the end.

Also I remember another friends DD had massively chubby thighs when she was small, but she is as skinny as a rake now!

Jux, that could be my story - my DD was and is exactly the same!

DD1 (now 3.5) was exactly like this except being on 75th percentile for height
She was 50th percentile at birth, rapidly shot up to above the 98th percentile after a couple & months & has stayed there ever since (apart from a brief foray above the 99.6 line)

It did not drop off when she started walking, it did't drop off when she started running everywhere, however in the past year she has lost 0.5kg, is now 19.2kg. This is despite growing upwards like a weed. She still looks stocky & has a v small belly but She has always eaten healthily & we make sure she does some exercise at least once a day - we live in the middle of nowhere so the car is a necessity but I do try to park further away to ensure some walking to & fro from places like pre-school etc. I am much less worried now than I was.

Remember that for percentiles to exist some children do have to be at the heav end, just as you have children on the 2nd percentile - try not to worry too much about this but how she looks & keep up with the good diet.

In addition 2 year olds can walk further than you think, yes you have to build up to it slowly & have some patience as it is slow going at times but dd1 was managing a mile walk easily by this age.

Thanks to all for your advice.

I have decided we'll ask our GP what he thinks, and unless he completely reassures us, ask for a referral to a dietician or paediatrician, whichever he thinks best.