Overweight 20mth old

[Toastypate]

My ds2 is 20mths old and is overweight. I know I don't over feed him but he's getting bigger.
At birth he was tiny, on 2nd centile and stayed there for ages, suddenly started filling out which was a joy to see but it's not slowed down.

He's short for his age and heavier so it's really noticeable.
I tried to not let it show the constant comments bothered me. It's the first thing people say when they see him. "Aw look at those rolls" "he's so chubby" "offt he's a chunky monkey isn't he?" etc etc before lockdown it'd usually be followed up with a poke or squeeze of his face or arm rolls etc. My over the fence neighbour pointed his size out to me then just a few days later said "don't worry now he's walking he'll lose all that fat" he's been walking for months as she knows as she sees us outside in the garden most days.

My ds1 is 3 and a half and only 1lb heavier than his younger brother, despite at his age eating more and even now eating lots more, and while being pretty active can sit still at times.

I'm now finding age 18-24mths are tight around the waist/body but arms/legs still too long. Body wise I need to move him up to 2-3 Yr old clothes but he's totally swamped length wise, legs, tops arms.

He eats a balanced diet, rarely snacks and never ever sits still. He is constantly on the move but keeps getting bigger.

Guess what I'm asking/posting for is to find out if there are other kids who where really chubby at this age but leaned out as they got older.
I don't want him to lose weight as such just stay the same til he grows more but that doesn't seem to be happening.

I not sure what to do about his size, I want him to be healthy.

Has your health visitor or gp said he is overweight or is it all just comments from randomers?

We haven't had to see the gp for anything for a good while and the hv last saw him a few months ago and commented on his weight but a bit like others did, said he'd loose it when he's more mobile, at the time he was just walking and still wobbly. But he's now very mobile and growing.

How tall/heavy is he?

It's almost certainly going to be a portion issue if he is overweight. Unless he's still having a lot of milk?

OP I know you say you don't overfeed him, but even for babies it's impossible for them to gain weight unless they're eating more calories than they burn. That said, babies need to grow so it's perfectly normal for their appetite to be such that their bodies "demand" those extra calories in order to encourage growth, but it sounds like your DS is significantly overweight if he's only 1lb lighter than a 3 year old. If this has been going on for a while I'd really suggest speaking to the GP to see if anything else might be going on here

What percentiles is he on for weight and height op? They reckon it should be with 2 so if he's 2nd for height but 98th for weight that's an "issue" but J not so much 25th and 75th

My little one was the same. At 9 months I used to buy 2-3 clothing just to get a little bit of wear out of them. He was born 7 5 on 27th centile and within first 10 days he was almost off the chart. Everyone assumed he over ate but he didn’t, he wasn’t a hungry baby. Everyone said once he could move it’d drop off (they also said he’d start sleeping - he didn’t). -“Aged 2 the paediatrician wanted to refer him to dietician but I didn’t take him, I knew it wasn’t diet related. Just in his genes I believe. Hit 3 and shot away upwards. He now has visible ribs 😀he was also extremely active, ran everywhere from the minute he could walk. His sister is heading the same way although not quite as big this far. Xx

I know the basics of gaining weight is about consuming more calories than you burn but I cant understand how. He is constantly on the move even in his sleep.

Typical day is:
Breakfast one weetabix or small slice of toast, usually with a small banana (you know the little kids ones you get). Usually leaves a bit of banana or has it an hr after breakfast.

Lunch: one slice of bread & cheese or cold meat with cucumber on the side or one slice of toast with a couple spoons of beans/scrambled egg.

Dinner: what we all have but it genuinely is a small portion (smaller than the 3 yo) and doesn't eat it all, most ends up on the floor, if he eats very little maybe has a yoghurt after.

Snacks: typically doesn't look for anything between meals, but if ds1 does have a snack he'll naturally want a bit. Usually will be give a rice cracker. Occasionally I will share a pack of quavers between them or he will have a custard cream. But treats aren't daily.

He's 30lbs, not sure of height can measure tomorrow but l need to turn up every single pair of trousers he has (in 18-24mth) so he's short. Same with sleeves.
Will be worse when I move him to age 2-3yr to make more comfortable around the body.

@Larabelle6 thats reassuring... I know its not diet related. He was on 2nd centile for months. There was concern over not regaining weight he lost within the first few days.
Neither me, dh or ds1 are tall.

To answer a few points he doesn't have baby milk, he has a cup of cows milk in the morning, maybe a second afternoon/evening but usually water occasional a little squash.

Drinks lots and I mean lots of water.

Stopped breastfeeding at around 14months his choice just stopped and that was it.

Weight he went last plotted in his book was just under 98th centile line. I need to check height centile tomorrow.

Could he be water bloated rather than fat? If that's genuine, it really isn't much food but it's a lot of water unless the cups of milk are huge?

It's genuine, people don't believe me when I say he isn't a big ester. I've wondered a few times if he's bloated but it's his whole body face to feet thats chubby and he's heavy.

Cups isn't big, if his is empty he will take his brothers.
He drinks a lot more than he eats. He used to have more squash but as he drunk so much I switched to water thinking he'll only drink if thirsty with seems alot.

I'd get that looked into op, I I don't know how much he's having but you have an older kid, and you think it's a lot so I'd trust your own instinct

My friend's younger child was also really chubby at I think around this age, certainly as a baby. I remember being quite shocked as first child was (is) small and slim as are both parents. I'm talking proper rolls of fat.

She's 6 now I think and solid but certainly not fat. I don't believe my friend overfeeds as I'm always hungry after hers!

My younger DC is also solid and a probably as heavy as older sibling by several years. I will watch the weight
as she is keen on snacks (mainly fruit but still). Older sibling is skin and bone.

I think it can vary. Keep an eye but intake doesn't sound excessive.

Can you get out the red book and do a height/ weight comparison? Might indicate if you need to see HV.

I have the same issue only my DS is 14 months and hes 28lb!

Your DS doesn't seem to be eating excessive amounts, mine would eat more than that but he's been a complete food monster since day 1 of weaning. His dad is a stocky build and I think he's taking after him. I do worry, but I measured and weighed him today and he's 2 centiles apart which is what the health visitor said was the limit of "ok".

Is he on full fat milk? Could you change him to semi skimmed? My DS wont drink any milk so all his calories are food but I have a friend who's 1 year old was overweight and her HV told her to switch milk to semi skimmed.

Is he developing typically.. speech, skills etc? (only wondering as children with Prada Willi syndrome start tiny then rapidly gain weight, but there are significant developmental delays and physical features that stand out)
Assuming he is typical, I'd lower his portion sizes gently and wait for him to grow.
My DS1 was a fat baby..from a small newborn he gained weight so rapidly he looked like a mini Jabba the Hut! (unlike his older sister who was scrawny) By the time he was 1 he was way heavier than his 2 year old sister and by 3 he was positively square and I really worried that he was going to be 'the fat kid' at school.
But somewhere around 4 he stopped explanding, grew a bit (he was short) and by 6 he was on the slimmer side, and has been a slightly underweight lad ever since!
He's now an adult who can eat huge quantities of pasta and yet struggled to get to 10 stone and wishes he could be less skinny!

He was 22 pound at 5 months of age and the HV told me to cut his feeds. I didn't as he wasn't feeding any more than his sister had done..

Assuming he is typical, I'd lower his portion sizes gently and wait for him to grow

Really?

one weetabix with a small banana;
one slice of bread & cheese with cucumber on the side / one slice of toast with a couple spoons of beans/scrambled egg;
small portion (of what we have) and doesn't eat it all, maybe a yoghurt after:
rice cracker / half a pack of quavers / a custard cream - aren't daily.
2 cups of milk

I'd speak to your GP OP - the drinking lots of water combined with weight gain would be a concern for me.

Might be way off the mark but if he's drinking lots and lots of water have you thought about diabetes? That's usually the first sign.

Diabetes makes you lose weight not gain it

I don’t know what’s going of with your ds OP but I have little fat babies who turn into skinny children.

Not when they walk, but between 3 and 4, when they start being able to cover proper distances on scooters in the run up to starting school.

I worried and worried with my eldest and spoke to a hv. Wise women looked at my toddlers rolls of fat (I had to shop around for wide wellies his feet were so fat he didn’t fit most) and asked if I fed him sweets. I said no, she said he’d be fine then.

And he is. Healthy appetite and I can see his ribs. My dd is going the same way.
By all means check it out, but if you keep up a healthy diet it will probably work out.

Agree that's it's definitely worth measuring his height too and plotting both his weight and and height in your red book.

I had a toddler who too had to have extra wide wellies. He now is a very slim teen.

Definitely speak to your health visitor or gp op. Theyll be able to give you the best advice after a chat and seeing your wee one face to face.
I wouldn't worry about turning up clothes, my lo is 21 months and never in the side shes supposed to be in! Always having to go up a size and turn up the arms and legs! Just like adults they have different proportions and different brands fit differently too.

My 16 month old is wearing a size up on top and a size down on the bottom, I honestly think if there was a problem your GP or HV would have noticed something by now?

I'd make an appointment with his GP just to reassure yourself 🙂

But she hasn't seen the GP or health visitor. It will probably come up at the two year check, but no harm in making an appointment if you're worried. You might have a bit of a wait at the moment obviously.

Clothes sizes are neither here nor there really, but 30lb does seem quite a lot. I have a 20 month old who is tall so on 90th+ centile for both height and weight and he's only 12.8kg which is about 28lbs/2 stone. But also he has always been big, from a few weeks old. No idea where it comes from as neither me or DH are tall!

I agree that the food sounds fine but may be an unusual amount of water which is what I'd be asking GP/HV about.

It might be worth mentioning to the HV if you are worried, I would follow your instincts, although that doesn't mean anything is wrong. It doesn't look like he's eating much to be honest, my 18 month old eats a lot more than that and is within range. I would definitely mention that he is drinking lots of water.

The food is not bad, but it seems I am the only one thinking it not really a great diet.
Toast for breakfast, toast for lunch, processed snack every afternoon with zero nutritional value. Some days a banana and or cucumber but where is the variety and the quality?

Nothing to do with weight gain or weight loss, but there could be more fresh food and colours . In the days he has a toast for breakfast, don't give toast for lunch. He shares your dinner, could he share your lunch, and you have some meat/fish with a variety of vegetables during the week? Maybe instead of eggs on toast, make an omelette with spinach and diced tomatoes, a small meatball in tomato sauce with peas, ... easy dishes like that and in the afternoon, an apple, pear, strawberries and as we are going towards summer, some watermelon or melons.
And if you buy white bread, change to wholemeal bread .

I repeat this has nothing to do with his weight, but as many commented he had a good diet, I wanted to add my point of view, that a bit of colour could make it better.