WWYD Weight in child

[sbgrace]

Ugh. I don't know whether to be concerned or not. Further, I don't even know what I would do about it if I should be concerned. At my 9 year old son's last well check, in December, the pediatrician mentioned his BMI was high. We're new to the practice. She asked if he had been premature and I told her he was IUGR at birth. That seemed to explain it in her mind. He's short for his age, my husband and I are thin, and I didn't think much of it. I did follow up with another doctor I trust, who knows my son. That doctor said he's probably just headed for a height spurt and kids do that. He wasn't concerned at all.

 

Our food is nutrient dense but not unhealthy (today he had teff made with some ghee (sort of like oatmeal probably in healthy level), avocado made into guac., a peach, some turkey breast, green beans, a pear, a salad (plain greens--he likes it that way), a glass of whole milk, a typical serving size of mac and cheese, non-fat yogurt, and some oatmeal). Honestly, I don't think my boys hardly ever over-eat. Because of allergies we really have almost no processed food in the diet and they very rarely eat anything I'd consider junk food. He has told me more than once, when I ask about whether he was really done eating, that he's so eager to start playing again that he almost always stops eating before he's full. He just doesn't usually eat that much.

 

Well, I don't know if the pediatrician made me paranoid or something but I've noticed his belly is looking, well, quite big. His twin is always at or flirting with failure to thrive. So trying to switch to think about too much weight..I don't know how to do it! Should I make an appt to discuss with the pediatrician? I don't want him paranoid. I also don't want to mess up his metabolism somehow at 9 years old! But what would I change?

[Freckles]

Most kids I know grow out then up. I wouldn't worry. He's 9.

 

I wanted to add that BMI is not a good indicator of health. My husband is labeled overweight by his BMI. He is 5' 11" tall and weighs 178-180. He is all muscle. You know your son better than anyone. Follow your instincts.

[MomtoCandJ]

Prepuberty fat stores?? I mean every child I have seen on the brink of puberty is a little "fluffy", then turn to bean poles when the hormones start to flow.

[trulycrabby]

If the doctor's not concerned, then you can probably relax, esp. since his diet is so healthy.

[bolt.]

I don't think you should make any major changes... Except perhaps to muse a little on you (possible) fear of fat and/or your (possible) general fear of doing things wrong in parenting in general. Fear-driven decisions almost never work out well in parenting.

 

Aside from that, consider perhaps only those 'nutrient dense' items that are considered quite 'unhealthy' by the mainstream (if, perhaps you are drinking cream as a beverage or using bacon fat for salad dressing, that's 'nutrient dense' but not really what is 'mainstream healthy' -- do you know what I'm meaning by that?) Anyhow, *IF* you have anything like that (perhaps the ghee?) it could maybe be worth while to serve him somewhat less than your usual, when you serve/add those things.

 

Other than that, there seem to be good reasons for a slightly raised BMI in him, and it is really hard to go wrong on whole foods like you discribe... Really, I'd consider it just not a worry. Perhaps a "one" on the "worry scale from 1 to 10" -- a blip.

[Unicorn.]

Bolt said it best. I was just going to say anytime you hear BMI, you should roll your eyes and run away. :D

[Crimson Wife]

My oldest DD, who was always very thin, went through a semi-chubby phase shortly before she started puberty. She's now taller but has thinned out except where she is developing feminine curves.

 

If he is still looking chubby in a year, I would ask for a referral to a pediatric dietician with experience in food allergies.

[Mergath]

The only thing I would look at are the portion sizes. If he's eating normal portions of his age for everything, you're golden. But if he's having giganto helpings of everything, that might be an issue. I agree that it's mostly likely something growth spurt related, though.

[Mrs Mungo]

The doctors didn't give you any recommendations, so I wouldn't worry.

[readinmom]

Ds 16 had a full waist, face right before his growth spurt. He grew 6 inches in about 3 months. I wouldn't worry a great deal about this.

[Donna]

My middle ds looked heavy a couple years before his growth spurt then he shot up and now is a healthy weight.

[Night Elf]

I took my youngest dd, somewhere around age 10, in at her request because she worried she was getting fat. The doctor reassured her she would grow into her weight within a couple of years and gave her the advice about eating healthy and exercising to maintain it until her growth spurt. I don't remember my son's growth spurts. He was a little chunky from about 5th grade through 9th grade, then got thinner.

 

According to other posters, he may be near a growth spurt. I wouldn't worry. Continue eating healthy, watch those portion sizes, and get some form of exercise in there.

 

I found an article that mentions the major growth spurts for boys and girls around puberty. Growth Spurts

[DawnM]

My 9 year old is VERY overweight. He always has been a big kid. He was 35 pounds at age 2.

 

He DOES love to eat! He will eat all day long if we let him. DH and I have decided to curtail that and he needs to ask to eat. It isn't as much about keeping food from him as keeping certain types of foods from him. He can have as much of the fruits and veggies we have if he wants. But he will grab chips if they are available, a bowl of cereal, or a full second meal of left overs.

 

He DOES exercise too. He will go outside on his scooter or skateboard by himself for hours.

 

Dawn

[HSDCY]

Ds was like that at that age despite a very healthy diet. His pediatrician was worried and told us he shouldn't touch any sweet drinks, sugary cereal, or white bread or rice. The problem was, he did not eat any of those things to begin with and still had a round middle section. That continued for 2-3 years and I had to listen to the pediatrician telling us the same thing every year. Last year he hit a growth spurt and grew more than 4 inches in a short time and all that belly fat went away.

 

Come to think of it, dh was a chubby boy as well until he hit puberty.

 

I wouldn't worry about it. So just continue to encourage healthy eating habit and make sure he has some physical activities daily.