Chubby toddler

[Commalia]

My second daughter is 2.5 and still on the quite chubby side and is obsessed with food and its worrying me a bit because I struggled with weight and it runs in my family. Plus my older daughter doesn't have this issue, shes quite slim and enjoys healthy food.

I raised them both the same obviously, exposed them both to the same type of foods but my second daughter keeps asking for more food at meals (though healthy), shes also slightly less active.

I dont know if its me worrying because of my family having weight issues and comparing her to her sister.

Just wanted to hear of experience from other parents who may have a slightly chubbier toddler and have you done anything to help the situation? Does it go on its own?

Thanks!

You say chubby - what does that mean? Is she following her centile line? Can you see her ribs? These are the things you need to focus on.

@Thatwentbadly she is in the 98th percentile weight and about 80th percentile height so she's higher in weight and she looks a bit chubby.

Also she was always higher in weight percentile and following the line but I thought as she grew a bit, weight and height would balance to the same percentile. I am sure eventually it will but just wondering the experience of others in this because didn't have this with my first - does it automatically adjust as they grow a bit older or is there something I should do? Especially about how much she likes food - is there something I should do?

What about her ribs?

HV would advise offering healthy food, maybe increase the portion of veg and increase exercise.

What kind of food are you giving her and what portions? What do you mean by your elder daughter preffering ‘healthy food’?

DS is 14 months old and will eat anything in his range of preferred textures and flavour profiles and so I will make healthy food fit into that.

If she’s 80th for weight and 98th for weight I don’t think that’s much of an issue? I could be wrong.

My DS (almost 5) was a chubby 2 year old and a food monster. I remember we went out for a meal for my mum’s birthday and he ate the whole of a 3 course child’s meal - the waitress said her 7 year old couldn’t have finished it!

I weighed him and he was around 90th centile if I recall correctly, I can’t remember exactly. I was quite worried and tried to restrict portion sizes at home and asked his nursery not to give him seconds.

However, he did naturally slim out. As he got closer to 3 he became much more active (coincided with us stopping using the pushchair and him doing a lot more walking, running, jumping etc) and he dropped through the percentiles. By 3.5 he was skinny and remains so - last time I weighed him and worked out his BMI he was around 40th centile. His appetite is no longer as big as it was either - I genuinely think he eats less now than he did as a 2 year old.

Not all kids will be like this of course - at DS’s nursery there were chubby toddlers who remained chubby 4 year olds. So I think the most important thing is to keep a close eye on it, I weighed and measured DS every few months and tried to adjust portion sizes and snacks as we went.

@DinoGreen LOL at him eating a 3 course meal!! Soo something my daughter would do and funnily I also just emailed her nursery last week to ask them to stop giving her seconds.
That's so reassuring his appetite slowly went back to normal and he's more active.
Thanks for the reassurance and will definitely encourage her to walk / run more. Thanks.

@GrumpyHoonMain thanks for the tips. I meant my older daughter likes veggies, all kinds really more than bread and startch surprisingly. She just ate more of them as a toddler maybe or maybe its just her I dont know.

Will try different textures but its not so much about the types of food as much as its the quantity with our second. She just loves food so much and has a big appetite even of healthy foods so the quantity is what is making her on the bigger side. Hoping it will slowly improve as @DinoGreen said and will try to control portions on our end anyway.

All you can do it give her an appropriate portion for her age and say no more after that. Yes healthy foods are great but not if a child is eating far too much of them.
We have one who will eat as much as I allow her to and asks for more but I have to be firm and say no or she gains more chub. She is not as active as her siblings either so it's a balancing act keeping her satisfied without allowing her to overeat.

Yes healthy foods are great but not if a child is eating far too much of them not sure I agree if the healthy food is vegetables.
Put a big bowl of green beans, a tasty salad, roasted zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower florets, ....

Her sister likes vegetables, so make it an habit to always have several on the dining table, and ask her to only take a bite when she refuses to have them. By repeating bite after bite, probably after a dozen tries, she might accept them