I know this is a touchy subject but I need advice.
My 6 year has always been a lil chubby. But this past year she has put on a heap of weight. I put her weight and height in the height/weight chart and she way above the 98%.
Everyone said she would slim out and loose her baby fat when she went to school but it’s the opposite she put on more. She has 2 older siblings. One has a sporty figure and the other is a skinny stick. She easily wears her older sisters clothes (size 9 and size 12) some are even tight on her.
Everyone says she is fine and she is still so cute and she is adorably cute in my eyes too but I know the older she gets the less society will find her cute and more she will be known as a fat kid.
We aren’t a super crazy healthy family but I wouldn’t say we eats junks food constantly either.
She is a active kid. She runs around all day at school. She can swim for hours in the pool. Loves to ride her bike and play outside. During the school holidays she spent about 4 hours daily in the pool probably More if I let her.
Other then the standard answers like healthy eating and more exercise. Both of which we have started doing this year. (Hubby is trying to loose a few kgs so we saying we are doing healthy eating to support him) Should I get her checked out by the doctors to see if their is any underlying issues?
Any other advice as I feel so much guilt.
Ps. I have never mentioned her weight to her. I tell her daily how cute she is. Her sisters joke that she is my favourite because I adore her so much.
Overweight 6 year old.
Overweight 6 year old.
Posted in:
Parenthood Guilt, Health & Wellbeing, Kids
5 Replies
Yes same as for a grown up, id do some research on calories and diet for a 6 year old, and then keep a diary on what she's actually eating. That can really be an eye opener. Especially portion size since she's youngest she might be keeping up with the big kids.
She might just be a bigger size too. A doctor visit is always a good idea but after 2 or 3 weeks checking her diet yourself then you'll be able to come with facts.
It’s worth a chat to a registered dietitian for accurate information.
It is correct that some children will grow into there weight, but not if there food intake is out of balance. Plus you can have different metabolisms and body types with in the same family. I’d also take note on how often she is snacking and when she is snacking.
One thing I noticed when packing my sons lunch box was a lot of so called ‘healthy foods’ are pretty high in calories, fats and sugars.
Start with your GP, you might need to get some blood work done. My son is like that...and it turns out, there was a reason he was heavy. He didn't look BIG but was so heavy. It helped to understand things a little bit.
Start with your GP for a referral to a dietitian. They will check height and weight and will be able to advise what adjustments are needed to her diet. My son was always on the chubby side, but once puberty hit he’s thinned out a lot.
All the ppl saying she'll grow out of it... Possibly not. I was a fat little kid, fat child, teenager & adult. I never grew out of it. It affected me greatly. Talk to a dr & dietician & be on the front foot early.