Obesity in a Reception Child

[couldtryharder]

I'm training as a TA at a local primary school. We have a child in reception so 5 years old tops and she is very over weight. Her size 9-10 years dress is a struggle to get on and do up, she has to sit on a smaller chair so that she can get her legs under the table, she has recently found it difficult to join in activities with the other children because she was physically incapable of getting up or down something, her packed lunch recently on a trip consisted of a white bread sandwich with ham, a packet of crisps and a big bar of chocolate. She is a well looked after, very loved (good close family), bright, pleasant girl. But I can't help but worry that this is a very slippery slope for her. I think that if she is this big at 5 years old (twice the weight of her peers) then she is going to struggle with her weight for the rest of her life. Things like diabetes are going to be a real possibility and although the other children in her class don't seem to make an issue of it now, I worry that as she goes through school, life will just get more difficult for her and her weight will make her miserable. I have mentioned it to the class teachers, who agree that it is not a good situation, but I'm not sure they are prepared to do something about it. Clearly it's not neglect as she is cared for, cleanly turned out, loved by a close family unit, but surely it's not right to do this to a child.

I do think allowing a small child to become so overweight that it risks their health is a child protection issue. It might not be neglect, it might be ignorance or the parents have mental health issues, but I hope someone tackles this for the child's sake.

I don't need to calm down
I still think that if there is a query by a school staff member being made about a child possibly being neglected, the correct thing to do is to talk to the safeguarding officer at the school, not get opinions on a parenting forum.
I don't need to, or want to, change my opinion thanks.

Ah...

Presumably this child has been fat since September at least, so they've had plenty of time to talk to various professionals about the problem. The safeguarding officer will be a member of staff who presumably has seen this child around the school and had opportunities to decide if she should act.
Perhaps the OP is wondering why nothing has been done. Perhaps too many people think it's none of their business, despite the short and long term damage being done.

Nobody knows who the op is, she hasn't named the school, the child, the parents... There is no identifying information contained in that post for either the child to be recognised or the op disciplined (!)

She also hasn't bothered name changing and she has quite a lot of posting history. It is quite possible that someone she knows in real life could have identified her username at some point.

to myself. Meant to bold, not strikethrough.

Do all schools actually have a school nurse?

I've only ever heard of one round here visiting for the R and Y6 weigh in.

I don't think the are someone a TA would necessarily be able to talk to.

The child protection officer is normally the HT, isn't it? So probably feels like a very formal step to talk to her......

Most schools wouldn't allow chocolate in a child's lunchbox. Does your school not have a healthy eating thingy? Would she be allowed to eat crisps and chocolate at school?

There is certainly lots and lots the school could do. From talking to the parents, to putting the child on some kind of a PE intervention, to changing the lunchbox policy......,

It's very sad that none of those things appear to be done.

Jomidmum, well, I now have my opinions about YOU given your 'sweeping generalisation', anti teacher comment and I won't be changing my opinion either! (Note the absence of 'ironic' smiley faces in my post) I'm sure you're not troubled by this though. Why would you bother treating people (teachers or not) as INDIVIDUALS?

In regard to the little girl, it could be that the class could have a healthy eating focus or else grow their own veges and cook some healthy lunches. Also, it would do all class members good to have a PE and active outdoor play focus, I'm sure. Perhaps they could learn some old fashioned games and be provided with PE equipment for lunchtime play. However, at the heart of the matter is what is coming from home and that is the tricky part. Perhaps it needs a sensitive, honest conversation, which might not go well, but can't really be any worse for the child in the long run. I worked with a very inactive child once and I invited him to come over to my house every week to bounce on our tramp - in the end, mum was persuaded to buy him a tramp of his own and this was then followed by a bike. We had bike days on an old tennis court for younger kids during break times. Essentially this was aimed at one child, but everyone got something out of it.

Couldtryharder: good on you for caring enough about this child and asking for advice.
The family sounds caring and close, perhaps they just need to be informed/educated about the importance of healthy eating. I don't know what the protocol is in schools or who you are meant to talk to, but I hope you can help this little girl.
Is there some sort of procedure in place if you have this type of concern?

at my dd school we had a general information letter provided when dd started school about what kind of things would constitute a healthy lunchbox and also pointers about the kind of things to avoid on a regular basis (including crisps/chocolate). It also focused on time and planning the lunches ahead to ensure healthy options are thought about. Maybe the school would be willing to do this for the whole class? This then doesnt target anyone individually but might re-focus the relevant parent to think about lunches?

Also,maybe suggest the class focus one week in the term on healthy eating and exercise, with information sent home for parents - you could link it to the olympics, local school sports day etc.

All that might not have enough of an effect/impact though. At some point someone (either the school or medical staff) will probably have to have a specific conversation with the parents to find out about any underlying issues and to try and help if possible/within reason. (parents evening..? x is struggling with PE/playtime..?)

From my general observation, there are lots more obese children in R and Y1 than there were 5 years ago. It's terribly sad.

"at my dd school we had a general information letter provided when dd started school about what kind of things would constitute a healthy lunchbox and also pointers about the kind of things to avoid on a regular basis (including crisps/chocolate). It also focused on time and planning the lunches ahead to ensure healthy options are thought about. Maybe the school would be willing to do this for the whole class? This then doesnt target anyone individually but might re-focus the relevant parent to think about lunches?

Also,maybe suggest the class focus one week in the term on healthy eating and exercise, with information sent home for parents - you could link it to the olympics, local school sports day etc."

because things like this irritate and patronise parents who do not have obese children and dont care if their children have crisps a few times a week!

Ridiculous to have to target everyone for the sake of one child.

It's very difficult. There was a boy like this at my dc's school and I had never seen anyone like it outside one of those voyeuristic c4 documentaries. He couldn't stand with his feet together. Very loving but totally deluded family, all overweight who had avoided any pre-schools as they were worried about him being teased for being fat, when, in their words, he wasn't, he was just big boned like the rest of them. There clearly was some intervention as he now does a lot of sport and his mother harangues the pta (all very slim women) for holding cake sales. However, the poor lad is still obese and I think it's very hard to undo the damage. When the papers parade those photos of children 'accused' of being overweight by the government, i think they should stop and think about the reality of a child's BMI being in the top 10% of the country. A GP once told me that the best thing you could do for your child is not let get fat before they're three as their bodily make-up will be altered for ever.
None of this is very helpful to you, OP, but the chances are his parents will have got a letter from the NHS suggesting a doctor's referral if he took part in the weighing and measuring programme.

Geeze! I don't quite know what to say. Thank you all for your thoughts, and whilst I stand by my post and the fact that it was not a breach of any confidentiality at all (I worked for the NHS for many years and am totally aware of what constitutes a breach of confidentiality - and this isn't it) I am sorry if anyone felt that it was. It was not my intention at all. I like the children in my class a lot and this particular child is a total sweetheart. I only want to help her and feel that my job is to do just that. We don't have a school nurse, it is an issue that we have discussed as a group of teachers (not that I can really call myself that) but feel that we've never come to any kind of real conclusion about it. I love food and see it as a pivotal part of a 'good' life. But that means good food and an understanding of what's good and what isn't, what is ok sometimes and what is only ok occasionally. It seems to me that this is something that is overlooked by schools. Jamie Oliver has not changed the majority of school meals, schools no longer teach cooking, talking about it is irrelevant if they then sit down to a meal of 'breaded fish', smiley potato faces and a teaspoon of overboiled peas that is followed by a huge lump of cake & 'sauce'. I don't want to see this child's family vilified or persecuted, I just want them to realise what the consequence of this path will be but I feel powerless/sad/concerned & sought opinion.