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Original poster

Apparently my 7 yo dd is 'overweight' according to NHS

51 replies

Zazzabeans · 16/08/2015 08:46

Came across the NHS 'healthy weight calculator'. Dd 2 has just turned 7, she is 3'9 and weighs 4st 7 and is in the 96th centile and classed as overweight.
She however wears clothes for her own age and loves riding her bike and going on the trampoline, she doesn't look overweight.
Apparently the average weight of a 7 year old girl is 3st 6. Making dd 1st overweight Hmm
she eats the healthiest out of my 3dcs favouring fruit over choc and crisps.
Should I be worried

OP posts:
DeandraReynolds · 16/08/2015 08:49

Yes, she is very overweight so it would be sensible to be concerned. Maybe keep a food diary for a week and then see your GP for a referral to a dietician?

If she eats healthily then she is probably just eating too much.

Kennington · 16/08/2015 08:49

I don't know if you should be worried but I am always surprised by the amount of hidden sugar in foods. I find it a constant battle to avoid sugar: petit filou; porridge for kids; all drinks; ketchups and sauces. It can be difficult to avoid so even if you are good then others may not be. Eg our nursery always gives our daughter cake - I don't mind some but it is everyday!

YouBastardSockBalls · 16/08/2015 08:51

Yes that sounds overweight for a child her age.

Climb out of denial, and ask for support.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

3 year olds 7 year olds Families General parenting
YeOldeTrout · 16/08/2015 08:54

You could double check your measurements, I thought scales were pretty inaccurate for weights below 7 stone (not calibrated for lower weights).

Vet scales are often good for weighing kids I've found.

PaintedTshirt · 16/08/2015 08:56

I think keeping a food diary and going to see your GP is a good advice.

Enb76 · 16/08/2015 09:00

My about to turn 7 year old weighs less than your daughter but is a whole foot taller at 4' 9. I would not class my daughter as skinny. If your measurements are correct then you really need to change her eating habits. Not diet but just look at how much hidden sugar she's getting and reduce portion size.

westcountrywoman · 16/08/2015 09:03

First of all, check her weight on another set of scales just to be sure. If you're getting the same result, then yes, she is overweight.

The problem is that so many children are now overweight (something like 35% in the UK) that our perception of a 'normal weight' has been skewed. I recently read that children up to puberty should have their ribs showing (without 'breathing in') if they are a healthy weight. Shops make clothes bigger to fit the demand, so we don't realise that there is a problem.

Also, children are much less active than they have been historically. Only a generation ago most would walk each way to school, play out actively at every opportunity etc.

Speak to your GP or a school nurse but generally, the advice is not to get children of this age to lose significant amounts of weight, but rather to stabilise it so that as they grow in height, their weight comes back into the normal range.

Original poster
Zazzabeans · 16/08/2015 09:03

Gosh. She really doesn't look overweight though :(

Will keep a diary and go see gp and think about portion control.

OP posts:
Original poster
Zazzabeans · 16/08/2015 09:07

She is very active, always on her bike,scooter or trampoline. She would play out all day if I let her.
With it being the 6weeks, if we are not busy she plays out for anything up to 7 hours a day.

OP posts:
addictedtosugar · 16/08/2015 09:08

Yes, you should be concerned.
DS1 is a year younger, 5 cm taller, and over a stone lighter. He is just below the middle of the bmi thingy.
Are you sure the height and weight have been measured properly? If she honestly doesn't look overweight (can you see her ribs?) I think this is the most likely.

GropingForTroutInAPeculiarRive · 16/08/2015 09:09

My DD is almost 7.

She is 3'7 and weighs 2st 13.

Your DD sounds very heavy. Have you checked that the scales are working properly? I know that sounds daft but you never know.

lougle · 16/08/2015 09:10

Growth chart here

Your daughter is on the 9th centile for height and over 91st centile for weight. In other words, in a room of 100 children who have just turned 7 years old, only 9 would be shorter than her and only 9 would be heavier than her. That's why the healthy weight tool says she is overweight.

To be in proportion, she needs to be 19 kg (9th centile for weight) or 128 cm (91st centile for height). Obviously, a growth spurt of 14cm isn't going to happen, so by cutting down her portions and increasing exercise, she will lose a little weight and grow, reducing the disproportion.

Enb76 · 16/08/2015 09:15

Can I ask if you are overweight? I know it's a personal question but if you are, you be less able to judge what's overweight in your child. Studies have shown that those who are overweight are less able to see it in their own children.

Original poster
Zazzabeans · 16/08/2015 09:16

when she was in reception, she was on the 56th centile for her weight. That was 2 1/2 year ago.
The only thing that has changed in the 2 year is the fact that her school were offering free school dinners for infants, all of her friends were staying so she wanted to, prior to that it was packed lunches most days.

She was born 7weeks early weighing just 3lb so this issue has been just recently.

My other dd on the otherhand weighs the same but is a year older and a little taller but looks more solid than dd2 Hmm

OP posts:
YeOldeTrout · 16/08/2015 09:21

It's great that she's so active, that's marvellous.

Does she really not look much larger than other little girls very close to her height?

DS is now 7.5yo, 9th percentile for height, & still wearing size 5-6 clothes (maybe just outgrowing them).

Original poster
Zazzabeans · 16/08/2015 09:21

Yes I am overweight, I also have pcos which makes it harder to lose weight. It's just a viscous circle for me re weight loss.

Will weigh her again at pils house today using their scales.

OP posts:
addictedtosugar · 16/08/2015 09:24

Your other DD may also be at the top end of healthy, unless she is significantly taller than her sister ( see the commentbabou growing 14cm to fit her weight). Have you put her details into the NHS calculator?

AuntieStella · 16/08/2015 09:32

I don't think 190 school meals since they became free would make the difference between 56 and 91 centile. (Or rather, if it did, this would have happened to every child who took them up).

Yes, check the scales you weighed her on. But if they are accurate, you need to stop making excuses (I know that sounds harsh, but it is not meant to be; it's just there isn't really another way to say it). Children don't need to diet as such, but you need to halt this increase until she has fully grown in to her weight.

My guess is that the main thing to check is portion size.

Enb76 · 16/08/2015 09:33

Ok. Don't beat yourself up, weight is incredibly difficult to manage and if I were you I would congratulate myself that I knew that something needed to change. Can you go to a GP and ask for some help not just for your children but for you too? You may be able to get a referral to a dietician which would be helpful to get an idea of how much your children should be eating and where you can cut back on sugar.

Iamralphwiggum · 16/08/2015 09:35

Are you feeding them big portions? Are they doing lots of exercise?

Original poster
Zazzabeans · 16/08/2015 09:47

Dd1 is on the 75th centile, however have just weighed them both again and they are both 4st 2, I used bathroom floor.Hmm
I will be weighing them at oils house today .

OP posts:
Jennifersrabbit · 16/08/2015 09:48

My DD is nearly 7, that height and just shy of 3 stone, so on the 25th percentile for weight. The clothes might be a red herring - DD wears 5-6 and would drown in the age appropriate sizes. However DS age 9 has similar diet and exercise but hovers around the 80th percentiles (just escaping being overweight) so I know how puzzling it can all feel as a parent!

I might be wrong but if she was prem and very small could that contribute? I have something in the back of my mind about children who are very small and then gain weight being more predisposed to then be heavier. DS was quite small at birth and then - not. GP might be able to advise on that.

Also do check what school dinners are up to. DS has a good appetite and needs a watchful eye over portion control. I was mildly horrified to find that the dinner ladies were handing out second helpings which were a repeat of the entire meal, including a second chocolate sponge and custard. DS thought this was great, I was less thrilled. If the issue dates from her having school dinners something like that might be your culprit. Or do they have some daft rule about clearing the plate and give a standard portion to all kids? DD self regulates and eats what she needs, which is sometimes a surprisingly tiny amount.

They might let you go into lunch one day and have a nosy - 'invite parents to lunch day' was how I twigged about DS and the seconds.

All the best.

Charis1 · 16/08/2015 09:54

yes! you should be concerned. Maybe she is eating too much fruit?

squizita · 16/08/2015 11:58

Your GP will have better scales and be able to check things like body fat v muscle etc.
The calculations suggest a reason to check up, I would do that in the first instant.

softhedgehog · 16/08/2015 14:56

Your GP will have the same scales and no facility to check muscle and body fat (I am a GP) but will be able to refer to a dietician if.you would.like help.