OT-help! dr says 4 year old is overweight?

[dana1003]

Your girls are adorable! I'm no Dr but to me they look well proportioned for their height. DS was a premie and will be 5 in March and is 37 lbs and 39 inches. My BF's DS just turned 5 and is 55 lbs. and much taller then DS. My point is I don't put too much emphasis on weight unless they are extremely under or over weight. As long as they are gaining weight and eating properly I wouldn't worry too much. DS will eat things like oranges, bananas, apples, strawberries, blue berries as a snack. He is a chocolate fan so I let him have some M&M's! He likes to eat salads with me. Will your girls eat that? I make sure DS has breakfast, lunch and dinner and a snack between each. He doesn't drink soda, but drinks a lot of juice and milk. Pretzels are a OK snack as well as granola bars/cereal bars. Are they eating fatty foods or fast food?

we dont drink soda..and fatty foods..i dont think so. we are hispanic so its hard to completely avoid those foods especially when we are at a family members house to eat. i cut down on the rice and im not frying anymore.its been a while since i've done that. we switched to turkey bacon and are eating whole grain & whole wheat.

 

[dana1003]

My dd4.5 is 38" and 28lbs. She is considered underweight. She has some gluten issues. She is on a limited gluten (wheat protein) diet. She also had lactose issues, but is outgrowing both. Your "bigger" twin does not appear overweight to me. My ped said that as long as she is "plotting" along on the chart, meaning that she is following her own curve no matter how far below "normal", she is fine.

On both of them though, I would avoid apple juice. It is the worst juice you could drink. It has a lot of sorbitol which can cause diarrhea and slow weight gain, but can also be responsible for the gain of too much weight in some kids. Depends on the kid. Stay away from juicy juice. It says 100% juice, but it is all APPLE juice, with other flavors added. I use Welch's grape juice instead or Ocean Spray cranberry mixes. I do allow the cranapple. I also buy strawberry banana juice in the cold juice section.

Visit www.askdrsears.com . He has a whole section dedicated to nutrition along with menus you can print. The information he has on his site has proven indespensable to me. He goes into all of the fruits and juices.

Also, stick to 100% whole wheat. Many bread that say whole wheat are not 100%. Look for the 100%. That is all we buy. As young as they are they will adapt quickly. I only started this a few years ago.

The fruit and veggie tray ideas are great. You can put yogurt out to dip it in as well.

Avoid the artificial sweeteners. These are not good for you. Try to stick with natural and organic. Organic is getting much easier to find and the price is going down.

Now, I know I am rambling, but my last bit of advice is to not worry. Do not put your little girl on a "diet". Just put out healthier choices. Do NOT limit her food, just limit the junk. She NEEDS a certain amt of fat and calories for proper development.

OK, I am done. Sorry for the rambling. I hope at least something makes sense and helps.

wow! apple juice, really? i just bought it cuz the sugar was allot lower than all the other juices?

 

[dana1003]

Your girls are adorable!!! The smaller one reminds me of myself.....and she may always be small. I started out at 3 lb 2 oz (this was in the 70's) and I've been underweight all my life, by the charts. I'm perfectly healthy, just small. I'm now 31, and I'm over 100 lbs for the first time in my life. No matter what I did (until the depoprovera shot, lol), I just could not gain weight unless I was pregnant. I tried 6 meals a day, milkshakes, nothing worked.

No advice for you, just wanted to tell you how it's been for me.

yeah doc says she just might be a small all her life which im fine with as long as she has no health issues. he just put her on b12 vitamins.

 

[dana1003]

You really should stay away from any kind of juice, except as a special treat. They should have a piece of fruit instead. Juice is too easy to get a lot of calories w/o realizing it. When they eat the fruit they will get full sooner and get more vitamins and fiber.

Also, the 100 calorie packs and such are just a gimick. They still aren't good for you no matter how you package it. You are better off giving them fruits, veggies, protiens (cheese, peanut butter, yogurt, etc).

Also things w/artifical sweeteners can actually make some people feel hungrier.

oh no! not the 100 calorie packs..say it aint so

 

[Schmeck]

I calculated your daughters' BMI (body mass index) using a child's version.

Your smaller daughter has a BMI of 12.8, which is underweight.

Your taller daughter has a BMI of 19.3, which is overweight.

The pediatrician was correct.

You've gotten some wonderful advice on this thread. Somehow you have to add healthy calories to one child's diet, and eliminate empty calories from the other child's diet. It's not going to be easy. You really should focus on adding protein to your smaller daughter's diet, as adding fat can cause health problems later on. Eliminating processed foods is a big step to take in making both diets healthier - basically, if it has a fat/protein/carb label on it, it's not the greatest of snacks! Cookies, chips (even sunchips!), tortilla chips, crackers - too many carbs, not enough nutrients. Extremely obese children crave the carbs as they get a rush from them, and as they try to get enough nutrients they overeat the junk. Their bodies crave the nutrients, but they just keep shoving in the empty carbs. Finally, they never feel full, because their bodies are desperate for nutrients.

Lowfat milk, water, more veggies than fruits, yogurt, whole wheat bread, tofu, eggs, skinless chicken breasts, cottage cheese - those are some options.

 

[Desnik]

we dont drink soda..and fatty foods..i dont think so. we are hispanic so its hard to completely avoid those foods especially when we are at a family members house to eat. i cut down on the rice and im not frying anymore.its been a while since i've done that. we switched to turkey bacon and are eating whole grain & whole wheat.

I am Puerto Rican and when my family gets together and makes all our traditional foods, they are heart attacks on a plate with all the fat!!LOL Most of the food is really not healthy. My kids do love the food but I try not to let them eat it too much. I just hope you don't worry about this too much. To me your girls look like normal kids for their body type. Good luck!

 

[Aristomommy]

First of all, the picture of your DDs is very cute!!! It seems that your DD in question looks fine as far as height/weight ratio is concerned. Your Dr may be concerned if there has been sudden weight gain without equal growth in height. But either way, it is a good idea to have healthy eating habits for both your girls. If you want your other DD to gain weight, it shouldn't be done with donuts and junk food (not to say you would do this anyway). Here is what we do at our house and our DD started out as a chunky toddler and is now a tall girl with normal weight.

Breakfast:
-school days: oatmeal and milk (2%)
-weekends: healthy cereal with milk (we use organic cereal sweetened with cane juice)

Lunch:
-pb&j (whole wheat bread, natural peanut butter and little bit jelly)
-yogurt
-juice (100%)

Dinner:
-we usually have a meat and vegetable dish, try to cut back on carbohydrates

Snacks:
-I have fruit bowl and fridge full of fruit, veggies, yogurt, string cheese and other healthy snacks. While these are not unlimited, I don't really mind how much they eat these. DD and DS eat small meals and need something in between.

I would caution against artificial sweeteners for your DD. Teach her to eat healthy foods from natural sources rather than getting used to the sweetened taste of sugary snacks. Our change to healthier foods has been gradual. By making small changes (changing bread to healthier, for example) your family is less likely to resist. HTH

 

[Nicolepa]

oh no! not the 100 calorie packs..say it aint so

Sorry, but a cracker is a cracker no matter how you package it.

 

[LoveBWVVBR]

I'd be more worried about the one that is 37" and 25 lbs. Has she always been low on the weight curve? 40" and 45 lbs doesn't seem too outrageous to me. My DD is 31 lbs and 35.5" at nearly 2 years-old. It doesn't seem like a stretch to think that she could be over 40 lbs when she reaches 40" and not be overweight.

 

[momof3girls6712]

I would just add that the charts the drs go by do not relate to every child. My dr has showed me several times that according to the chart my middle DD is overweight. However, she does not have any fat on her body. She does have muscle. She loves sports and excerise and is contantly moving. So the numbers appear to be a problem, but mean nothing.

Just watch what you are feeding them. Make sure its healthy and they are eating correct amounts (I have to watch my youngest DD she will eat cause she is bored). Other than that you might look into a sports program.

 

[2Princes2Princesses]

I would just add that the charts the drs go by do not relate to every child. My dr has showed me several times that according to the chart my middle DD is overweight. However, she does not have any fat on her body. She does have muscle. She loves sports and excerise and is contantly moving. So the numbers appear to be a problem, but mean nothing.

My DD15 is like that. She is 5'5" and weighs 165 pounds. However, she is built like a linebacker and could crush bricks with her legs. She runs track, rollerblades, plays soccer. Very active kid, rarely sits still. My doc told me she is in great shape. The height/weight BMI charts show her to be obese, but he said muscle is heavier than fat, and she has no fat.

DS3 is a big boy, too. He is at 68% for height, 97% for weight, and has a BMI of 20 or something like that. He is 38" and 41 pounds. But his percentages are moving towards each other (he was 97 for weight and 50 for height last year with a BMI of 22), and my doctor told me he does not really put much stock in the BMI measurements until about age 5-ish. After the visit last year, when his numbers were far apart, we were told to cut down on juice. ALL juice, especially apple. DS is always thirsty, so we water the juice. The kids' cups have about 1 oz of juice to every 8 oz of water.

My DD4-1/2 is a peanut. She is 36" and about 30 pounds. She is no longer on the charts for her age, but she is growing at a steady rate. There has been some discussion of growth hormone for her at some point, but our doc said that is something that we will hold off on until she reaches closer to puberty age and we can better determine how tall she will be.

I have been underweight my entire life. I am 35 now (my mom told me it would all catch up with me at 30) and I am 5'6" and weigh 117 pounds (the most ever except while pregnant). It is really tough to put on weight when you eat enough but don't gain. I wish I had some advice for you with your smaller DD, but the only thing that finally put on the 10 pounds my doctor had been yelling at me to gain was a Disney cruise.

 

[grlpwrd]

I totally agree with what Nicolepa posted:

You really should stay away from any kind of juice, except as a special treat. They should have a piece of fruit instead. Juice is too easy to get a lot of calories w/o realizing it. When they eat the fruit they will get full sooner and get more vitamins and fiber.

Also, the 100 calorie packs and such are just a gimick. They still aren't good for you no matter how you package it. You are better off giving them fruits, veggies, protiens (cheese, peanut butter, yogurt, etc).

Also things w/artifical sweeteners can actually make some people feel hungrier.

Sorry, but a cracker is a cracker no matter how you package it.

I know you are serious, but that is too too funny.

As you can see in my signature photo, I have a twin sister. Growing up, we fluctuated between 2 to 5 lbs of each other. I am taller by 1/2 an inch.

You said one dd is 37" and the other one is 40 1/2". Maybe her weight reflects it? If that is the case then I wouldn't worry about it. I read that you have to allocate so many lbs per inches. I hope that makes sense.

They are so cute!

 

[dana1003]

I calculated your daughters' BMI (body mass index) using a child's version.

Your smaller daughter has a BMI of 12.8, which is underweight.

Your taller daughter has a BMI of 19.3, which is overweight.

The pediatrician was correct.

You've gotten some wonderful advice on this thread. Somehow you have to add healthy calories to one child's diet, and eliminate empty calories from the other child's diet. It's not going to be easy. You really should focus on adding protein to your smaller daughter's diet, as adding fat can cause health problems later on. Eliminating processed foods is a big step to take in making both diets healthier - basically, if it has a fat/protein/carb label on it, it's not the greatest of snacks! Cookies, chips (even sunchips!), tortilla chips, crackers - too many carbs, not enough nutrients. Extremely obese children crave the carbs as they get a rush from them, and as they try to get enough nutrients they overeat the junk. Their bodies crave the nutrients, but they just keep shoving in the empty carbs. Finally, they never feel full, because their bodies are desperate for nutrients.

Lowfat milk, water, more veggies than fruits, yogurt, whole wheat bread, tofu, eggs, skinless chicken breasts, cottage cheese - those are some options.

wow! thank you for doing the math..thats as little scary. thanks for the advice..out go the sunchips too.

 

[dana1003]

I calculated your daughters' BMI (body mass index) using a child's version.

Your smaller daughter has a BMI of 12.8, which is underweight.

Your taller daughter has a BMI of 19.3, which is overweight.

The pediatrician was correct.

You've gotten some wonderful advice on this thread. Somehow you have to add healthy calories to one child's diet, and eliminate empty calories from the other child's diet. It's not going to be easy. You really should focus on adding protein to your smaller daughter's diet, as adding fat can cause health problems later on. Eliminating processed foods is a big step to take in making both diets healthier - basically, if it has a fat/protein/carb label on it, it's not the greatest of snacks! Cookies, chips (even sunchips!), tortilla chips, crackers - too many carbs, not enough nutrients. Extremely obese children crave the carbs as they get a rush from them, and as they try to get enough nutrients they overeat the junk. Their bodies crave the nutrients, but they just keep shoving in the empty carbs. Finally, they never feel full, because their bodies are desperate for nutrients.

Lowfat milk, water, more veggies than fruits, yogurt, whole wheat bread, tofu, eggs, skinless chicken breasts, cottage cheese - those are some options.

wow! thank you for doing the math..thats as little scary. thanks for the advice..out go the sunchips too.

 

[dana1003]

I am Puerto Rican and when my family gets together and makes all our traditional foods, they are heart attacks on a plate with all the fat!!LOL Most of the food is really not healthy. My kids do love the food but I try not to let them eat it too much. I just hope you don't worry about this too much. To me your girls look like normal kids for their body type. Good luck!

fellow puerto rican here..you know the problem..platanos, rellenos de papa, arroz, yuca, flan,guava, need i say more..

 

[twooley2]

maybe your pediatrician is looking at eatting habits and looking at what he or she sees coming in the future years. Even on the edge of being just at the tip of proportioned once the teen years come it never decrease weight only increases. This is from having 2 teens just coming on their teen years. What was once cute no longer is and can become a health issue. Good to see you are looking and caring about the matter. She is so cute and no doctor here so I would get a second opinion or totally listen to the doctor as they are the ones with the education and knowledge in this area along with there being a massive concern with America being fatter and kids are especially at risk according to all of the recent studies.

 

[KadysMom]

You really should stay away from any kind of juice, except as a special treat. They should have a piece of fruit instead. Juice is too easy to get a lot of calories w/o realizing it. QUOTE]

I agree. DD6 never gets juice unless we are at a party. She gets her milk. She was underweight also. When she turned 5 she was 28 pounds. Now she is 6 and 40 pounds. We have worked hard on her weight gain and i have never given her the empty calories. She always had whole milk and foods that would fatten her up.

 

[my2princessgirls]

wow! thank you for doing the math..thats as little scary. thanks for the advice..out go the sunchips too.

Here is a good site where you can do the math yourself. You put in their stats, and it gives you their height and weight percentiles as well as their BMI and tells if the child is under weight, over weight or at a healthy weight. It gives you a wieght range that is healthy for their age and height and gender.

http://www.blubberbuster.com/height_weight.html

I agree with the others. Fresh fruits and veggies for snacks and I would cut out the juice completely. My kids also love lowfat yogurt or cottage cheese as dessert.

 

[LoveBWVVBR]

Here is a good site where you can do the math yourself. You put in their stats, and it gives you their height and weight percentiles as well as their BMI and tells if the child is under weight, over weight or at a healthy weight. It gives you a wieght range that is healthy for their age and height and gender.

http://www.blubberbuster.com/height_weight.html

I agree with the others. Fresh fruits and veggies for snacks and I would cut out the juice completely. My kids also love lowfat yogurt or cottage cheese as dessert.

Weird...I used that calculator and it shows that my DD is in the 50th percentile for height and weight. I always thought that she was tall for her age

 

[momz]

forget the numbers on the scale (well, maybe not forget entirely). but focus on a health diet for them both. offer them each the same healthy food choices, and the rest will fall into place. schedule their meals and snacks and if they whine and complain in-between meals, just remind them how much longer until snack time. then if you offer them fruit, yogurt, peanut butter, or some other healthy option, and they whine for chips, ice cream, cookies (whatever), just tell them "we don't eat that anymore, it's not healthy". they'll continue to protest, but at 4 years old, their protests won't last more than a few days. sooner than you know it, their little tummies will be hungry and they'll give up the whining and realize you mean what you say. all the whining in the world is not gonna get them the crap they are wanting. you may be surprised, but kids adjust to diet changes much more easily than adults do. you'll just have to tough it out for a few days, until you get passed the protesting. good luck.