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Original poster

BMI charts and percentiles - helP

65 replies

Bakedpies · 06/01/2014 09:55

Bloody confused.
Just weighed DD, she wanted to jump onthe scales as i just did.
Potted her BMI and shes in the 99th centile and ' overweight'

Shes a tall child for her age, i had been advised by the doctor to opt out of the school programme as it would come up bad for her, but she would be being peanilised for being tall. Indeed when i alter her age on the nhs bmi calculator, to make her more in line with her height... then her BMI goes down to normal.

Plotted her on the NHS gov, red book thing ( found online and shes also just over the 99th centile for height

So her weight corresponds with her height.....

Doesnt much matter, i know shes fine and we eat well. Just knocking the xmas chocs onthe head, but, should i be worried, or is it just a thing, like the doctor says, because shes outside of adverage?

OP posts:
tumbletumble · 06/01/2014 14:53

But Jilted, the NHS BMI charts show her as overweight (taking into account both height and weight) so by some measure she is. I'm not saying that BMI is right for everyone, it's possible that the OP's DD is perfectly healthy, but I'm not sure of your logic in trusting one set of charts and not another?

Original poster
Bakedpies · 06/01/2014 14:57

but if you go by the centiles, shes on the same for both height and weight, so is ' ok'

anyway, i can see DD is on the tubby side, and am hoping dropping the xmas treats and a bit more exercise will make some difference.

OP posts:
titchy · 06/01/2014 16:45

Don't forget centiles merely tell you th percentage of people who are a certain weight - they do not comment on how healthy that weight actually is. So if 25% of adults are over 15 stone that doesn't mean that being 14.5 stone is healthy - it's probably very unhealthy for most!

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Orangeanddemons · 06/01/2014 16:51

My dd's weight and height percentile s match. She's 7, 4ft 6 and 5 1/2 stone. She is the tallest in her class by miles.

She comes up as overweight on the bmi things, but like you, I'm not sure how she can be if her weight and height correspond on the growth charts

Newmum0113 · 06/01/2014 16:52

IME the measurement of BMI doesn't calculate muscle weight or bone density.

Most health professionals I've met don't believe on the system even though the have to follow it.

As you said, watch her portion sizes and dog from there to see where you need to adjust anything if at all.

As other posters have said - someone has to be at the top end of the scale. It is an average. And her weight is ok for her height by the centiles. I was always bigger than my peers at school as I was very athletic so had a lot of muscle weight.

Then I started with the Depo contraceptive and gained 8st and 8 dress sizes in 9 months Sad and a further 2 sizes after that! Blush

But I've now lost 6.5 dress sizes (over 3.5 years!) and am happier and healthier than I've been in a long time! Smile

mercibucket · 06/01/2014 17:01

www.patient.co.uk/doctor/centile-charts-and-assessing-growth

interesting reading here

anyhow, looks like you cant just say 'oh the height and weight match' . you do need to look at the separate chart for bmi to see if they are healthy weight or not.

makes one of mine overweight as well Blush

dont forget drinks as part of calorie checking as well!
oo, if that is all your dd really eats she would surely be skinny as a rake?

Original poster
Bakedpies · 06/01/2014 17:03

she drinks sugar free squash or water.

You would think she would be thin as a rake, but clearly shes not.

I can only think its the size of the meals. Over eating is still over eating even if shes eating healthy stuff. she does have a sizeable appitite and has dinner served on adult plates.

OP posts:
SlightlyTerrified · 07/01/2014 17:29

I don't really understand the child's BMI calculator. My DS2 is on the 97th centile for height and weight but he is only 5 and it says he is obese. If I put in that he is 7 (he is similar size to DS1s class mates, DS1 is also quite tall for his age) then he is at the top end of normal.

He is big built, as in has broad shoulders and wears age 8 clothes. He is not fat at all but definitely not skinny.

Orangeanddemons · 07/01/2014 17:31

That's interesting. I don't understand that either!

SlightlyTerrified · 07/01/2014 17:44

DS2 is definitely on the heavy end but he is not fat at all. I have asked lots of people in case I am in denial but if their height/weight is the same centile surely they are ok?

He does sport 6 times a week so he is pretty healthy from that point of view but I am a bit paranoid now though.

JiltedJohnsJulie · 07/01/2014 17:49

But Jilted, the NHS BMI charts show her as overweight (taking into account both height and weight) so by some measure she is. I'm not saying that BMI is right for everyone, it's possible that the OP's DD is perfectly healthy, but I'm not sure of your logic in trusting one set of charts and not another?

Think I was just looking at it from a personal perspective. My dn is exactly the same, in the 98th centile for both, but is a little older. There's not an ounce of fat on her at all. Also I can't really get my head around adult bm is. My DM is always telling me her bmi is fine, but she has a spare tyre around her middle. Surely that means a healthy bmi is not always healthy?

SlightlyTerrified · 07/01/2014 17:55

That is why the BMI is just one tool to use, if a woman's waist measures more than 31 inches then it is unhealthy to carry the weight in that area, the NHS website explains it properly. www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/849.aspx?CategoryID=51&SubCategoryID=165

My mum keeps saying how she can't be overweight as she is only a size 10-12 however she is overweight according to the BMI chart and her waist is well over 31". She is only 5ft and small build.

Orangeanddemons · 07/01/2014 18:05

I used to know Jilted John in another life! Sorry Julie.....

Starballbunny · 07/01/2014 18:10

The adult BMI charts are absolutely ruthless if you are 5'4" or less.

No short woman is allowed to weigh more than they did aged 14, they can fuck off as far as I'm concerned.

Yes I'm overweight, I eat too much fatty stuff and hate exercise, that's my choice, but I'd have to eat nothing but lettuce and run 5 miles a day to get near the graph. I don't see that's healthy either.

Orangeanddemons · 07/01/2014 18:17

I've just entered my dds height and weight as if she were 2 years older, which is the actual size she is.

She came in at mid range, so not sure why the age thing is even there. Surely it should just be about weight and height and not age?

titchy · 07/01/2014 18:20

Puberty makes a big difference oranges - you can't expect a kid with a child's body to be the same as one with an adult body.

Orangeanddemons · 07/01/2014 18:22

But my dd is 7. I entered her as 9. Most 9 year olds haven't really started puberty properly

Layl77 · 07/01/2014 18:44

I'm (when not pregnant) near the top end of the BMI healthy range when I'm a size 10! I am 5'6 and weigh 10.10 stone. I was skinny as a rake age 21 and still weighed 10 stone. Even a nurse at the new patient review was shocked, I think I'm an example of how it varies.

ChoudeBruxelles · 07/01/2014 18:48

I think that is heavy. Ds is 7 (8 in April). He 140cm and weighs 31kg. Which is about 4stone 10 I think. He's quite broad and muscly.

ChoudeBruxelles · 07/01/2014 18:59

Plot her height and weight on the charts in her red book against her age. If her height and weight are about the same percentile she's about right. If her weight is significantly higher in the percentiles she could do with losing weight

mercibucket · 07/01/2014 19:04

how I understand the height/weight thing . .

there are lots of overweight kids in this country

the weight chart just shows you how heavy your child is compared to 99 other children

so if they are 98 centile, only 2 kids weigh more than them!

it doesn't connect to the height centiles directly, so you are not supposed to 'match'. that just makes you tall and fat.

now the woman's waist thing annoys me! I am 5'10. I'm never going to have a tiny waist.

Orangeanddemons · 07/01/2014 19:06

But they do connect. I clearly remember a HV telling me to try and keep them matched.

mercibucket · 07/01/2014 19:47

no, I think they only connect as babies and that is why we all have in our heads that they should connect. tbh I don't know but the link I put on earlier for doctors etc said to use the bmi calculator for 'fattness' (I paraphrase) not the height/weight ones

mercibucket · 07/01/2014 19:53

ok so I re read the patient.co site

the height/weight are used over time, so you can see a sudden drop or increase in height or weight that might indicate a problem

to see if they are a healthy weight for their age and height, they are not the right chart to use

zipzap · 07/01/2014 19:53

Remember also that at the extreme ends of the scale, the range of height or weight within each percentile is much bigger than it is for the percentiles in the middle of the distribution. Which means that generalisations that hold true for those nearer the centre don't always hold true for those that are near the ends of the scale!

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