Fat toddler- please help

[Napqueen1234]

Dd is 18 months. Chubby looking, 98th centile+ (always has been) I weight her occasionally and she’s put on a full lb in last two weeks. In the last two weeks she’s been eating SO much almost as much as me. I follow the Ellyn Satter approach and only ever give healthy nutritious food (literally no junk!) what am I doing wrong? She’s just getting bigger and bigger. She’s happy, active, gorgeous just wants to eat so much.

Anyone?

My ds was the same, I was even referred to a dietician who didn't believe that I wasn't feeding him junk. By three he was a more typical size as he put on no weight in eighteen months and by five he was skinny and remained so.

I always think they get a bit cubby before they have a big stretch. If she’s eating well and you’re in control of what she eats then I wouldn’t worry too much.

If she is following her % then surely there is not a problem.

What does she eat in a typical day? What are her portion sizes like?

How much is she eating ???
What are her portion sizes?

My DS3 was like that 98th centile, rolls of fat, gradually went from fat to chubby to sturdy and finally to slim but tall and muscular but it took until he was 13!

If she is genuinely getting healthy food in appropriate portions, don’t worry. DS chunked up a bit before growth spurts.

I had a chubby toddler, chubby cheeks, 98th centile, she is tall and slender now at 8, although her wee cheeks still have remnant chub which I adore. Stop stressing about it, as she grows she will stretch, just feed her healthy foods and enjoy her. My dd is never going to be petite but she is sturdy, athletic and slim, I'd say she's probably going to be 6foot before she's 18!

I have had big toddlers. Health visitors, dentists, doctors and the general public have all assumed i feed junk daily when in reality they've barely had a treat before age of 3 yrs. Each had slower growth from age of approx 2.5 yrs and noticably thinned out from 3.5 yrs and are now tall and skinny as rakes. Honestly you'll have people stick their oars in and make judgements but just keep doing what you're doing and it all evens out

There are lots of obese toddlers. It’s not healthy. Don’t assume she will ‘even out’. If the OP is really giving her adult size portions of food then that needs to stop.

My DS3 was like that 98th centile, rolls of fat, gradually went from fat to chubby to sturdy and finally to slim but tall and muscular but it took until he was 13!
Exactly the same with my DS. What always annoyed me was that he rarely ate junk and ate far smaller portions than his friends who were all super skinny, yet other parents constantly gave me the side eye, as if I was the cause of his body shape. Thankfully now they are all much of a muchness as the super skinny ones start to bulk out and mine thinned down as he stretched up.

98th centile is NOT fat! My 4yo has always been at the top of those charts and she’s absolutely solid with a pot belly but she isn’t fat at all. She has regular check ups with professionals as she has SEN and nobody’s said anything is wrong with her weight! As a baby she had big fat rolls and the cute baby arm dents until she was 3.5. She’s beautiful. Her younger sister eats way more than she does and is only on the 50th centile and was a tiny petite baby. It’s just body shape!

Thanks all for replies. For those asking this is general food:

Breakfast: small bowl of porridge and blueberries

Snack: rice cakes

Lunch: sandwich made of one slice of bread, cherry tomatoes, some cheese. Yogurt or fruit

Snack: crumpet or if out and about some vegetable straws or raisins

Dinner: homemade spaghetti (3 tablespoons) or one egg omlette or chicken sausage mash and veg

At the moment she’s having two crumpets for breakfast, a whole banana and rice cakes for snack and an additional snack before bed. All healthy but seems a lot to me. However I’ve read a lot on ellyn satter and allowing children to eat their fill. If I don’t she just whinges for food all day despite distraction so I feel it must be genuine huger?

Those are all examples but typical of her daily food. She’s always been a good eater and eats everything :) no biscuits, chocolate, ice cream ever really

How rude lovinglola!
My babies were born with one on 98th centile for height and weight and the other over the centile for height and weight. At the age of 3 they wore aged 6-7 tshirts and leggings.

Now age 7 one of them wears age 12 clothes as they're so tall yet their legs are now like matchsticks.

Judgemental opinions like yours are sometimes called for but often not. Both of my children barely ate enough to keen a sparrow baby alive yet maintained their weight until almost school age. It was just their build.

Yes a few parents overfeed their children, but many don't. But you would have just seen them as an obese toddler no doubt and (incorrectly) assumed i was feeding adult sized portions

That is a lot for breakfast - what is she having on the crumpets? I would add in more fruit and veg. A healthy diet should be 50% fruit and veg by volume.

What does she drink ?
And how much aerobic exercise does she get every single day ?

Was she breastfed or formula?

I did read it thank you. I also read that you commented on feeding adult size portions before OP reported back on what they were feeding hence my pointing out you jumped in with a judgement before presented with facts. But yeh...crack on with swearing and being insulting if it makes you feel good

For goodness sake OP she’s just going through a growth spurt. Appetite goes up and down! Why no biscuits or ice cream ever?

OP whilst that is more than my two large toddlers ate, it's actually about the same as my smaller toddler would have eaten who was on 75th centile for weight and always in 'age appropriate' clothes. I'm no dietician but in my book that sounds fine. If you're concerned you could contact health visitor clinic or GP and ask if they could refer to dietician

I am i the only one thinking its wierd for a 18mo to be having a weekly weigh in

Do you have food issues yourself op?

I have 3 dc and never weighed them after the normal handful of weight checks as babies!

Hi OP. I saw my HV for a similar issue with my DD. She advised me to serve one appropriate sized portion (much smaller than I thought) and then only offer fruit / veg if DD was still hungry. Following that advice it took six months for the HV to say she was happy with her height / weight ratio.

In your opening sentence op you say 98th centile and always has been, I would just wait and see for the next few weeks, if she's having a grow then it will calm down. They do usually eat like mad when they are about to shoot up. If however she then goes above her line then you will have to look at lowering her calorie intake I would assume, or increase exercise, stick her on the treadmill! Joking obviously.