Is there anything to worry about being heavy?

So had 3.5 year old check for DD yesterday - she is 18.1kg so heavy (don't I know it) has a good 3kg on most of her peers. Of course they do the BMI thing and say she is in the overweight category without even looking at her. Now in my opinion she doesn't look overweight at all (no fat rolls, she has a big ribcage and head like her dad and she is not a delicate thing by any stretch of the imagination but you couldn't pinch an inch). I said I think she will always be classed as overweight according to BMI - both myself and my sister are always borderline even when we look skinny - it is a family trait on my side to be heavy boned, and on DH side to have a big ribcage and head so DD has it from both sides. She has also in terms of physical characteristics been behind the curve in terms of growing - my babies look like babies for longer than average - I grew taller later than everyone else etc - so she might grow into her heaviness but according to BMI will probably always border on overweight.

Previously I had a rant thread on the sensibility of 2 year old BMI checks, but am at peace with this now but it has led me to wonder a few things

Are there any issues with just being heavy? can it be indicative of anything problematic? (No broken bones in my family so maybe it can be a good thing)

How long do they go on checking these things - she is too young to understand what the nurse is saying really now but as she gets older I don't think is a great thing for her to keep hearing - although she knows her own mind so I can probably word her up ahead of time to tell the nurse what she thinks of BMI :-) Is there a more sensible way of gauging weight for little ones apart from the obvious visual? I am sure once upon a time you used BMI in combination with wrist measurement to take into account bone structure in some way.

I think you can probably just look at her and know if she's ok or not.
Also, if you are not happy with the way they test these things, maybe just don't do it? I totally agree about not hearing that she's overweight or heavy or whatever if she's actually quite healthy and normal for her body type.

I have seen your DD, she is by no means over weight. The charts they use at MCHN appointments are quite out of date I believe.

Perhaps check the Royal Children's Hospital website and see if they have a more up to date way of checking.

I can't post links on here, go into Google and type in BMI for children. The Better Health Victorian government website comes up and has a calculator. Obviously these calculators don't take into consideration you and your husbands size.

I have always been told kids put on weight just before a growth spurt. As in they get a bit chubby and then they get taller.

Trust your instinct, it's right.

I know exactly what you mean! Our family is exactly the same and DS is 27kg and was 5 in October.

We've been overseas and has never been checked as far as BMI but I know that it would class him as overweight.

I'm a relatively small person but weigh more than I look so I know he took after my side of the family. My dad is a big man though so I'm very aware of keeping DS healthy and active. Much easier now that we are back in oz.

It a hard one because you just don't want to cause body image issues either.

They are all so different. DS and DD are polar opposite. She will be 3 in May and hasn't even cracked 12kg yet, which DS had done by 12 months. They eat the same things too.... So I would hate DS to feel bad about himself because its in his genes.

I have just had my BMI done and was told it was only and indicator as everyone is different.

I think as long as they look healthy and eat good food you have nothing to worry about. Genes play a huge part in our makeup and this should always be looked at. Charts are just that, something that was needed to satisfy a group who were researching that area.

The nurse actually uses the Better Health Website - so I know it is correct according to the guidelines.

I will have a think about not getting her weighed next time (I do get other positive things out of the appointments so not sure I would want to miss them) isn't till just before school now anyway. Do they weigh them at school? I remember my mum (UK) telling me they were weighing kids and sending them home with letters saying overweight according to BMI etc which children were reading and it causing some outrage over there.

I suppose her weight gets less noticeable to others as they get older because they get picked up less - but quite often I have to warn other parents so they are aware when they go to pick her up because their kids are all around the 15kg mark and flung around / carried quite easily. People are constantly amazed at how heavy she is in comparison.

She already thinks she is heavy but doesn't think heavy is a bad thing if you see what I mean - we have used the word quite a bit just from not carrying her - not swinging her round and round etc (both DH and I have not great backs) - maybe we should be a bit more careful about how we use it as she gets older.

I had a google around and it seems there are various things for calculating BMI for larger boned people but nothing for children. Oh well - will probably now just forget about this until the next check :-) I think I just find it odd that they don't look at the child, calculate the BMI and do not ask about their diet at all - DS (who is heavy but not like she is) I could probably just feed chips and icecream and his BMI would be fine so they wouldn't care less.

My DD was 17.3kg at 3.5, there is no way she's overweight! dD is crazy tall though and was 106.7cm at her check, she looks far older than she actually is, her BMI wasn't even done. I bet your DD is extremely healthy, I wouldn't worry xxxx

That was the other odd thing the nurse said - that they never like children to lose weight but grow into their weight and that we only need DD to grow 6 cm and she would be within healthy range - almost like she was a plant and with a bit more watering she could grow those 6 cm! She is 100 cm which is just above average.

I am not worried about whether she is overweight or not as I can see she isn't, but I do occasionally have these bouts wondering how on earth she can be so heavy and if is indicative of something wrong - her bones being made of heavy metal or something :-) - if you look at the WHO charts - weight for height she is above the 97th percentile for her age - that just amazes me.

Pffft ignore her darl
Xxx

My DD is only 2 1/2 and is 18kg.

But she is just big all over. We had nude kids here earlier in the week and we were laughing that although she does wobble a bit more than most (no rolls but more covering) she is literally 4 inches broader across the shoulder and a half a head taller than any of her peers.

I'm not worried about her weight at all - she eats healthy and exercises every moment of the day (I can't find the off switch!)

If you aren't worried then don't worry what the "rules" say.

My DD has just turned 4 and is 23kgs and she is def not overweight she is also 112cms. My DS who will be 2 in march is 18kgs and all ready over 100cns. My nurse has never had a prob, she jus knows with their dad being 6'7 that they are going to be big! I don't think you have anything g to worry about!

Dd just had her check up and was 18kg too but was right in the middle of the bmi so I am guessing its her height that puts her there. She is solid but has recently lost her tummy due to a growth spurt. I really hate that they use the bmi and talk about weight at this age as they are old enough to understand.

Well through this and google I have found no indication that being 'heavy' can be indicative of anything sinister - in fact it does say that can reduce chance of osteoporosis. If her friends weren't all such little 15kg things (as babies we used to joke that if we weren't careful she would eat them!) I suppose wouldn't have noticed as much - and the fact she now seems to have hit the weight limit for the bicycle seat!

My 4yr old had his check up last week. He is almost 23kg, and 116.5cm tall. Def not overweight. There was no mention of his weight or anything. I actually asked if he was going ok with weight, etc, and he is fine. Sounds like your DD is fine too. Yeah, It's hard when you are around smaller kiddies compared to your little one.

xox

My daughter's BMI was recently in the obese category (any anyone who's seen her would know this isn't true). A few months later she's about 5cm taller and back in the normal range. I really dislike using BMI at a once off measurement for kids, they (my kids anyway) seem to pile on the chubb right before shooting up in height so the difference of a few weeks could make a massive difference in their BMI.

I think with the way kids grow, sudden growth spurts and then plateaus you can safely ignore the BMI

I'm actually surprised its used so young

I just checked DS's one and he is considered obese at 20kgs, 105cms and 4 years 3 days :o Absolutely looks like a greyhound and nowhere near obese - worried now (coz I do that!) will monitor over the next few months but not sure I could change much about his diet as it's pretty good!!
ETA: Just did DD's and hers is overweight as well - she is TINY and skinny as so Im not sure how accurate that is at all, there is a not a scrap of extra weight on her, DS still has those pudge hands etc, being just 4 but you would never call him overweight or obese looking at him. :S If you know your diet is well rounded and she isn't overeating I would be taking it with a grain of salt hun (off to take my own advice!!)

Tanstar - I have seen your two on Instagram and there is no way either are anything like overweight.

It is clearly ridiculous.

I know right! It's terrible making parents feel like they are doing something wrong. On the WHO chart, DS is just above the 85th percentile, makes sense so I am going with that!

The reverse can be true too. My DD is fairly tall and was 19kg when she was nine. Not sure what she is now. Her BMI put her at underweight but she is not. She's just lean.

You know when a child is overweight/underweight and it isn't because of the random calculation of BMI.

Don't fret.

I've posted to your fb page :)

What? Where are they checking these kids BMI?? My DD's have never had their BMI done. I don't take them anywhere they would though, lol, oops, am I supposed to? I took them to the MCHN when they were babies but gave up on that pretty quick because they look ok to me, lol, and they just kept trying to give me dodgy advice.

Anywho, I wouldn't worry, BMI is a pretty stupid sort of a measurement, I have no idea why they still use it xx

Heaven - yes it is MCHN - I find it useful to go because give info on kinders and other local activities etc - I know next to no one with older kids than mine in my council area so is useful. I also like going to the community things they organise.

I do think the BMI thing is silly but really was more worried that just being 'heavy' can be problematic but obviously it isn't that uncommon judging from this thread and is just all the kids mine interact with are on the light side.

you need to bring CJ to hang out with E - she is heavier than CJ!! i've seen pics of your DD and she most definitely isn't overweight (IMO) - you must have lots of "dainty" kidlets in your friends group!

she was weighed and observed by several nurses in emergency, as well as the paed on call, who all said she seemed to be happy and (generally) healthy and her weight was fine. the two GP's she seen this week also both weighed her and nothing was said about her weight at all.

i understand there has to be some way of checking children for health problems, but i struggle with the fact DD is labelled as obese - anyone that has heard she has been labelled obese has been mighty angry about it. she isn't skin and bones, but she isn't rolly polly either! she is a very active little poppet, she's happy, she's healthy (well, mostly!), she eats a very healthy diet. i'm not too phased by it all...

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you need to bring CJ to hang out with E - she is heavier than CJ!! i've seen pics of your DD and she most definitely isn't overweight (IMO) - you must have lots of "dainty" kidlets in your friends group!

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I think that is the thing - my view of what is normal had been swayed by lifting all her friends.

You have to wonder is it helpful to anyone to have charts that seem so wildly off.

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I think that is the thing - my view of what is normal had been swayed by lifting all her friends.

You have to wonder is it helpful to anyone to have charts that seem so wildly off.

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yeah, our next door neighbour has a dainty son who is 12 months older than E, so i sometimes feel that she is "heavy" but then my friend has a son that is even stockier than E so i get over it. i try not to let myself over analyse it all or it will do my head in! lol

My daughter is 7 and born the exact day as her best friend. There's a head's height difference between them and my daughter is the tallest in her class (and almost the tallest in the grade above!) My daughter is 30 kgs and is bloody heavy- but perfectly in proportion as though she were 9 or 10. (She is taller than some of those, too). She came home today from PCYC and told me a kid asked her if she was a teenager and if she went to high school!


Point is, we're all Australian- (mostly) no one knows their full family pedigree and its pretty rare your kids will have un-related playmates of similar age that will be exact size! My daughters scattered family history includes a smattering of Maori on her dads side along with solid Nothern Irish, English and on my side, Croatian (generally shorter but stocky, looking at my relatives) and my mum was adopted in South Africa so there's anyone's guess!!

I guess what I'm saying, with all our marvellous mixed gene pools kicking around Australia.. It's a rare thing to find a kid as 'normal size' and there's a reason BMI is percentile. Percentile is very different to 'average'. And if I know one thing about the 'health care industry', if they can invent a statistic and mould it for their own benefit, they will. I always chuck my daughter on the scales at doctor and check height myself at the end of appointment while he writes notes! None of his damn business how much we weigh and measure.

Remember- there is NO normal!!

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My daughter is 7 and born the exact day as her best friend. There's a head's height difference between them and my daughter is the tallest in her class (and almost the tallest in the grade above!) My daughter is 30 kgs and is bloody heavy- but perfectly in proportion as though she were 9 or 10. (She is taller than some of those, too). She came home today from PCYC and told me a kid asked her if she was a teenager and if she went to high school!

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As we know her friends from Mothers Group in the main they are all within a few days of each other and all the same height more or less - I think that is why I was worrying if it could 'heaviness' could be an indication of something wrong because if you mainly only know 4 -3.5 year olds and they all look more or less the same (3 being almost the same weight with DD being different) understanding a 3kg difference seemed odd, and the nurse pointing out the BMI just made me think about the heaviness again.

Oh we are originally from the UK by the way, and our family gene pool is distinctly uninteresting but I get what you are saying.

As someone else said ... pfffft. DS2 turned 3 one month ago and is 17.8kg. However, he's tall and a solid build. He's a bigger boy all round compared to many others his age. No one has checked his BMI and no one is going to as he's not overweight. He's just a big, healthy boy whose diet is - mainly - very good. Do not listen to any talk about your child being overweight if you know she's not.