My Kids & BMI !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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banslug

Cathlete
OH my! Yesterday I received the results of the school's annual growth screening reports. Can my 2 boys be ANY different?

My younger son, 1st grade, turned 7 in October.
Height: 50.5" (grew 2.5" since last year)
Weight: 61.4# (gained 4.4# since last year)
BMI: 16.93
BMI Percentile: 79.87 = Normal weight

My older DS, 4th grade, turned 10 in October.
(and this is what worries me)
Height: 57" (grew 1.5" since last year)
Weight: 121# !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (gained 21.8# since last year)
BMI: 26.18
BMI Percentile: 98.5 = Overweight

My older son really worries me, at least the numbers do! He's very athletic and competetive. He's built like both his grandfathers...stocky and broad. But he weighs about 10 pounds LESS THAN I DO!!! He's gained all that weight since this time last year. I just can't believe these numbers.

We're all active. he's playing basketball right now, baseball in the Spring and Fall, and we're ALWAYS outside during the summer (usually swimming, too). His eating is not horrendous, but he doesn't eat any fruit and just a little veggies. I buy no processed stuff, and everyting (about 90% of our food in this house) is homemade from scratch! He drinks water and 1% skim milk, very little juice (and when he does, it the new V8 VFusion Lite).

My thoughts:
*how do I address this?
*how do I begin to change WHATEVER needs to be changed?
*and I certainly do NOT want to address it too directly with him, as I don't want to give him reason to feel ashamed or self-conscious.

But WOW....that paper knocked me for a loop!

Gayle
 
Hey Gayle - being a mom is not picnic! I can imagine that that paper knocked you for a loop. But, I don't like numbers like that because they do not show the whole picture. You said that he's built like his grandfathers - is he obviously overweight or is he just a bigger guy?
 
Christine-he's a bigger kid, overall. He's taller then the majority in his grade (not just his class, but the whole 4th grade). It doesn't hold him back AT ALL, physically. He's one of the best players on all his teams (yes, I'm his mom, but others have said this to me also, as well as his gym teacher, LOL). Strength and speed, I'd say are above average in his class as well (they just held their annual fitness tests during gym class and he scored among the top 3 in his entire GRADE again, in each activity...push ups, agility, speed, jump rope, etc).

What I've noticed over the last few weeks is his belly, though.

That 20+ pound weight gain just freaks me out, to be quite honest!

Gayle
 
It sounds like he is active, eats fairly well, and your family is doing things right. So, I would talk to his pediatrician, tell him/her your concerns, and find out if it is possible he might be getting ready to hit a growth spurt.

Since he is not consuming a lot of junk food, I would not panic until you have talked with his doc and shared your concerns. Perhaps there is an explanation for the weight gain other than lifesyle. JMO, hope it helps.
 
I agree with GoldenRun - my DD15 used to sprout a belly then suddenly grow like wild fire. I would not stress out yet. If it would make you feel more comfortable, then talk to your pediatrican, but he eats well, and exercises, well, there's half the battle. My doctor is against the way everyone is so focused on BMI's - he says they are a tool and not an absolute and so many people fall outside the norm, especially if they are active and fit.
 
Gayle, you are doing everything right!

Does he have a lot of muscle?

I just ask because if you plug my numbers into a BMI calculator, my BMI is about 26 or 27 and I am NOT OVERWEIGHT -- it's crap. I am very fit.

I certainly understand your concern for your son's health. I agree, talk to his Ped.
 
Gayle, I agree BMI with above poster that BMI is crap, ESPECIALLY for kids. My pediatrician told me that for kids in that age range, a weight gain of 15-20 lbs/ yr was normal. Does your son look like he is carrying extra body fat or does he look muscular? My friend's son was classified as obese (!) according to the BMI index--he is actually rather thin and very muscular/dense when you look at him. Talk to your pediatrician, but believe your eyes not the BMI.

Jonahnah
Chocolate IS the answer, regardless of the question.
 
Gayle:

the kid is only 10!!! Absolutely nothing is written in stone and everything is going to change.

Everything you have said paints a picture of health as far as I can see. he is faster, stronger and more athletic than his peers. Wow! Nothing to complain about there.

Within families we can still see a wide variety of genetic patterns and body types because as you have realized, your kids' genetic code comes not just from his parents but from your parents also. I am very tall, lean and athletic, but both my older sisters are short ans struggle with their weight.

What matters is to take a look at the whole boy, your aon, not just the ststistics on a piece of a paper. Your son obviously does not conform to a standardized rate of growth for his age. So what! Each kid is an individual and wil follow his or her own genetically pre-determined pattern and rate of growth. I would bear in mind his young age, his incredible athleticism and genetic inheritance and balance the new belly against those.

Who knows what will happen over the next 2-3 years. he's about to head into puberty and when he does he will finally up and not just out and will get more muscular. That's testosterone for you!

So, your job is to keep watch and think, share concerns with family doctor but certainly not freak out over it and not make him feel like he's that much different from the other kids in his class. Just be the mum that you are and just keep an eye on things. I would expect his belly to resolve itself over the next couple of years according to his growth pattern, and especially because you re controlling his diet and it is not an unhealthy one.

Just keep doing what you are doing: feed him healthy foods, keep him active and just watch and appreciate his individuality!

Clare
 
Thanks, everybody, for your RATIONAL words of wisdom! :)

I went back thru his well-child check ups...all the way back to the day he was born! LOL He has always been either off the charts or in the very high 90 percentile for height and weight, compared to other kids his age. So I guess it just goes to show that he's nothing, if not CONSISTANT! LOL

THANKS AGAIN!

Gayle
 
Gayle, I haven't read the other responses yet, and I don't know much about kids, but I think the BMI is a load of hooey. My DH got the built-like-a-tank gene, and even when he gets his waist down to 34" and looks great, he is obese on the BMI. For the life of me, I cannot fathom why they lump males and females together on that thing. A man my height and weight would be emaciated, but the BMI would declare him to be on the low side of normal.

Ooops. Sorry for the rant! I guess you hit a nerve. The important thing is your son has an active lifestyle, and he knows how to eat right. From what I've heard, too many kids today are learning unhealthy habits, which are very hard to unlearn in adulthood. Your kids are clearly not in that category. :)
 
>Oh dear. My DD is the same height as son #2 and she weighs
>less than 60 lbs. Now I'm really worried.:-(
>

No worries! Kids grow so randomly, sporadically and intensely! I was a toothpick--literally--until I was around 10 years old. Then you should have seen the belly I developed! But, then at 14 or so it disappeared and I was a toothpick AGAIN!

These health tests are to give you an idea of your child's heath--but they are NOT words to live by. They're there to mainly wake up parents who currently ignore their children's health (eating and exercise habits) because WAY too many parents currently do. Take them with a grain of salt. You know your children and their habits better than any standardized testing ever can.

Allison

http://www.picturetrail.com/allisonj90
 
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