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

[AC7179]

My daughter is 40 inches and 41 or 42lbs. According to that chart, she is obese. Does she look obese to you? Regardless, she is at LEAST overweight, and I never would have told you that.

 

[CampbellScot]

Your daughters are gorgeous!!!

I think it's great that you are wanting to correct eating habits before they turn into a real problem. If start now you won't have an issue in the future! Just remember not to be make an issue of one girl being "over weight" while the other is "under". That could start a life long complex!

As a lot of people have said, juice is often VERY sugary and should be avoided for the most part. Sunchips are just as fattening as regular chips and the 100 calorie packs are just as devoid of nutrition as regular snacks.

Stick to whole foods...fruits and veggies as snacks. My step kids love honey crisp apples. Just gobble them right up! We encourage eating at meals "cuz this is it". That curbs the idea that another snack time is on always on the way. Meals are meals. That's when we eat. That being said, sometimes little kiddos need a calorie boost after meals to keep the energy level where it should be. Fruit fruit fruit and veggies veggies veggies!!!! Baby carrots, bananas, apples and grapes. All very kid friendly! Watch the yogurts as well, they sometimes have as much sugar as a cookie. We use the Dannon Lite and fit. It is low in sugar and calories but just as high in potassium and calcium as the more sugary counter parts.

Although you may think about giving your littler girl Stoneyhill farms yogurt while giving the other one the lite and fit. Both girls get the nutrition that suits them best.

You don't have to deny them foods they enjoy, you just have to modify the kinds of foods they eat. Cut out the empty calories and garbage food, stick to fresh fruits and veggies and proteins and everyone will be better for it!!!

good luck! Your babies are darling!!!

 

[pperfectmom]

According to that site, my DD is obese as well. She is 4 1/2 and is 44 inches tall and weighs about 51 pounds. We just call her "solid". She is active and eats a fairly healthy diet and I am not the least bit concerned about her weight. Our Dr. has never mentioned it being a problem.

 

[~*~Michelle~*~]

My dd is 4, 41" & 38lbs. I personally don't think she looks overweight. For me instead of taking things away, try to make her more active. You should also try to incorporate healthier foods. I just don't think you should deny foods that she wants. Everything in moderation. For example, my mom was never allowed candy when she was growing up & now she has a horrible sweet tooth...along w/diabetes (because she started eating so many sweets). I've just heard of that happening a lot. If someone is denied something it makes them want it even more. Does she like to play any sports or anything? I think that's the smartest thing to do, get her more active. Since we're sharing pics of our dd, here's one of my dd. <giggle>

 

[AC7179]

I haven't see one child on here that I would consider obese, or even overweight (although I've seen TONS of cuties). I guess when I think obese I think just grossly overweight, and I see my daughter as more of an average preschooler, you know?

 

[LoveBWVVBR]

My dd is 4, 41" & 38lbs. I personally don't think she looks overweight. For me instead of taking things away, try to make her more active. You should also try to incorporate healthier foods. I just don't think you should deny foods that she wants. Everything in moderation. For example, my mom was never allowed candy when she was growing up & now she has a horrible sweet tooth...along w/diabetes (because she started eating so many sweets). I've just heard of that happening a lot. If someone is denied something it makes them want it even more. Does she like to play any sports or anything? I think that's the smartest thing to do, get her more active. Since we're sharing pics of our dd, here's one of my dd. <giggle>

I absolutely agree with you! My sister and I weren't allowed ANY sweets growing up, and we went through a MAJOR sugar phase in our teens as a result. I won't do that to my child. I try to feed her a very healthy diet, but if she wants a cracker or a squirt of whipped cream, I'm not going to say no. Everything in moderation!

That said, a couple of my friends feed their kids nothing but junk food and convenience food, and I think that that's even worse than refusing your child all sweets

 

[Melissa_E]

My dd is 4, 41" & 38lbs. I personally don't think she looks overweight.

I don't see how that could be considered overweight. My DD is 4.5 years old, 42 inches and 38 pounds, her doctor just said to me today that she is perfect for her height and weight. I couldn't imagine her with any less weight on her, we see her ribs already!

To the OP, with your smaller daughter, I'm surprised no one has mentioned avocado. That is a great vegetable to add into her diet. It has lots of healthy fats and oils.

As for the 100 calorie snack packs, I'm meh about them. I give them to DD as an easy snack when we go to the gym. I figure it is much easier to give her that as a snack and control the portion size than to figure out the portion myself. Yes, it is the lazy way out, but she's only getting it twice a week or so. This is after her healthy breakfast of fruit, yogurt, or cereal.

Good luck!

 

[Colinsmom]

We use the Dannon Lite and fit. It is low in sugar and calories but just as high in potassium and calcium as the more sugary counter parts.

Doesn't Dannon Lite n Fit have artificial sweeteners (aspartame or splenda or nutrasweet)? I'd personally be inclined to stay away from them for preschoolers, but of course everyone needs to do their own research and make their own decisions for their children.

 

[LoveBWVVBR]

To the OP, with your smaller daughter, I'm surprised no one has mentioned avocado. That is a great vegetable to add into her diet. It has lots of healthy fats and oils.

Avocados are my DD's favorite food! They need to be the Haas ones, though...the FL avocados taste totally different to DD and to me. Maybe they don't sell those elsewhere, though (we're from FL)

 

[dana1003]

i agree-i always looked at her as solid also..not overweight? its encouraging to see other kids her weight and other people's opinions. im trying but i also believe everything in moderation.

 

[Nikel]

That doesn't sound overweight to me. My ds is 4, 42.5" and 43 lbs. He's always been towards the top of the charts though. I really can't imagine if he was smaller. As it is he needs 3T for his waist and 5 for length.

 

[noahdove]

My only comment is that only 100% juice if that is what they want..My granddaughter loves to have a water bottle and she is only a yearShe is more like the lighter weight daughter...But, for sure, I would keep all sugary snacks to a very small amount..for snacks I do give my granddaughter and the other children I watch, dry cherrios and chex...they love them...good luck..

 

[cruiserkaren]

We just got back from my dd's 4 year well visit. She is 41.5" and 44 pounds. He said she is just fine - her weight is 96% but with her height, she's not considered overweight. My son is 6.5 and is 47" and 53 lbs.

T.

Sounds like my dd. At her 4 year well visit she was 44 inches and 49 pounds. 99% in both height and weight. Her daddy is 6'3" and my mom is 5'11" so I'm pretty sure she'll be tall.

Your dd looks healthy and beautiful to me!

 

[cruiserkaren]

According to that site, my DD is obese as well. She is 4 1/2 and is 44 inches tall and weighs about 51 pounds. We just call her "solid". She is active and eats a fairly healthy diet and I am not the least bit concerned about her weight. Our Dr. has never mentioned it being a problem.

Mine too according to that.

Everyone is made differently.

 

[Melissa_E]

That doesn't sound overweight to me. My ds is 4, 42.5" and 43 lbs. He's always been towards the top of the charts though. I really can't imagine if he was smaller. As it is he needs 3T for his waist and 5 for length.

Oh yeah, pants are such a problem!!! We found great ones at Kohls though and I practically bought them out!

 

[nicolemomof4cuties]

Honestly I think that your heavier daughter looks fine. I would definitely not try to put her on any special diet. Your smaller daughter does looka a bit samll but all of my children are that way- some children are just naturally small. My daughter that just turned 6 is 38 1/2 in tall and weighs 28 lbs for instance. But she has cosistanstly been in that range so the Dr. says not to worry about it that she will probably just be petite her whole life. I do make sure that I give my children full fat cheese and milk. I also make sure that we eat very nutritiously with alot of whole grains and proteins. As all 4 of my children are in the 5th percentile or under for both weight and height in their age range. Now I had a little girl that I babysat for the past 2 years that weighed 45 lbs at 1.5- that is when you worry. My doctor almost had a cow when he saw her at a doctors visit for my kids. I fed her very healthily and only gave her 2% milk but her parents .... By the way- your girls are gorgeous little princesses!

 

[nicolemomof4cuties]

Another idea for a snack that my kids LOVE is hummus dip with fresh veggies or pita crisps. They ecspecially like the Tribe 40 spice or something like that. They also like Guacomole! Good use for the advocadoes!

 

[AC7179]

Oh my gosh...your 6 year old is smaller than my TWO year old was on our last trip!

 

[Nanu57v]

My DD is skinny, but its because we are such mean parents. She gets no soda or sweets or junk food. On special occasions we let her have a piece of cake or cookie. She does get an M & M for going on the potty. She also doesn't get straight juice. She gets Welch's grape juice with 1/3 juice and 2/3 water. We also give her no more than 2 glasses of milk and 1 glass of milk with ovaltine. We only eat whole foods and try not to buy processed foods if we can. We feed her this way because of what I witnessed at the daycare I worked at. We had preschoolers eating a hot dog, chips, pudding and a twinkie for lunch. Occasionally we'd see grapes, but it was all junk. THEN as soon as they hit kindergarten their weight gain started and EVERY single one of our school-aged children was overweight. I believed that when you taught the kids to eat junk all the time, it caught up with them when they couldn't work it off.

Speaking of work it off, be sure to limit TV time... they are usually more active without it.

For the smaller child you might add yogurt to her milk for a calorie boost.

Hope that helps!

 

[memobrien]

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.

So I have to agree with you completely. Last december my DD had her 4 year check up. The nurse weight her and it said 50lbs. well the whole office thought the scale was broken. Because there is NO WAY she looks like she weights that much. The doctor went to examine her and LITERALLY said..."Oh! She is all muscle!"

I think that it can't ever hurt to have healthy eating. But I would look at other factors before you say she is overweight. MY DD is VERY tall for her age. Which is weirdly ironic because she is Guatemalan and Guatemalan people generally aren' that tall. ANYWAY..... since birth she was has been on the between the 90 and 95 percentile for height and weight. Every year my ped anad I look at it. Her take is that as long as she is plotting on the same curve we are good.

maura