How do you know if your child is fat or merely thickset?

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ds2 has always at the top of the weight for his age. He is built like a tank. Ive never worried, because he never seemed overweight.

However, he's put on a couple of kilos over the last 4 months, and is now heavier than his brother, 2 years older.

I honestly dont know if he is getting fat or if it is just normal and he is very sturdily built. He is expanding in all directions.
Can anyone think of some giveaway signs that he would be getting too fat?

He eats the same as the other children, but more.

Weigh on bathroom scales and plot his height/weight in the red book to see if the centiles are really out of synch? Otherwise take to doctors, but that might make him self-conscious.

Personally I would start stocking up on lettuce if one of mine had a muffin top when wearing swimming trunks, or had the kind of tummy that hangs down with a little fold. You do see that quite a bit round here eg. at the swimming pool.

Otherwise I tend to find that their plumpness varies according to whether they've just had a growth spurt (= skinny child) or are just gearing up for one (= chunkier child).

Does he eat healthily and get himself involved in lots of exercise? If not I'd say you need to change his diet - if he is I'd say its probably just a phase. My little bro went through a phase of 'chubbiness' made worse by eating a lot of sweets (in secret!!) but then had a massive growth spurt and it all disappeared.

yes my dd gets a fat tum just before a growth spurt and then goes all skinny looking! At the moment she looks rather heavy but it is just starting to go again. Like your ds she is not fat, she does have a big frame though (like me and her dad)

i can't find my red book

Can anyone tell me what weight/height a 4yo girl should be?

Hmm I just googled CD and there is surprisingly little information on the weight/height of children compared with 1000s of sites for adults where you can calculate your BMI.

I know I have tried!

V annoying I will have to look for red book unless someone can tell me

DS1 is very thickset, and at times he does tend to tubby, although not since he started school - all that exercise and no snacking.
I agree about the tummy hang, and of course being reluctant to run around and becoming out of breath easily

Oh and a roll under the chin and fat bracelets

CD can find out when dd wakes up she is asleep on me at the min as know boys and girls charts are different.

I can give you the boys one:

4 yrs 50th centile - 16.5 kg, height 102 cm

sure that's no help though

hmm

I THINK she is 17kg and 101cm

4 yrs-weight 50th centile just above 16kg.

Height 50th centile 102cm.

of course you have. I know precisely where my red book is and that is not on my desk at work. So if no-one else comes on in the meantime I will have a look tonight. I think DS weighs just over 3 stone and he is 5.6, average to short, big boned and skinny.

It is the sort of info you would expect to be able to pick up on the internet just like that.

Message withdrawn

Oh am a bit late. boys are supposed to be heavier and taller than girls but not convinced by that.

thanks tortoise so what centile is she if 17kg and 101? She was 91st for weight and height for about 2 years then came down to 75th when 3

is she 4 or 41/2

4

got the book in front of me and it breaks down by months so can work it out for you

Mid way between 50th and 75th for weight
Very slightly below the 50th for height.

oh so a tubby dwarf like me

at age 4 she is on around 35th centile for height and around 60th for weight

thanks

ooh two different answers!

Everyone is always saying how tall she is, isn't that odd?

personally think its all a load of cobblers anyway..was always told ds was overweight until he got to 14mths and now at 2.10yrs he is supposedly underweight..hes just tall and thin..lol

Height is only 1cm below 50th centile height of 102.