worried mummy

hannahncakes

hi guys just wondering if I could pick your brains.
I am a mummy to wonderful 3 year old. She is very active loves running, climbing and playing football (although she's not very co-ordinated!) now she's not a fat child by any means but recently I've noticed she's got a bit of a belly on her and today she wanted to play on my wii fit so I registered her & she came up on the boarderin on overweight/overweight boundary
I don't know what to do for the best. She eats heatly the majority of the time. She will have occasional chocolate or chips (fries) but never more than say once a week. I try to encourage her to eat healthy & she has LOADS of fruit & veg (especially with me being vegetarian). I don't want to let her eat whatever she wants to but at the same time I don't want to stop her eating any treats and give her issues with food so she grows up with a complex because she is only 3 after all & surely little kids should be allowed to eat sweets every now & again??

I'm just having a hard time because I was overweight my whole childhood & really don't want that to happen to her but I also don't want her to be panicing about what she eats from an early age.

Any advice welcomed.

FemininGuns

Try not to restrict what your daughter's eating - she's young and healthy. You should however, incorporate activity in her day. The recommended daily activity for children is 90 minutes. Is she getting that? I have a niece and a nephew who are veyr active (play outside, go for walks etc...) every day and they eat what they want and are very healthy and a good size. I wouldn't trust the judgement of a WII for my daughter!

Kayaker

Worried mummy. You may want to read the documentation that came with the Wii Fit. As I recall there was some disclaimer that ndicated the program is not very accurate at measuring the BMI for children. At 3, I would keep her active, but its much too early to worry. :-)

etmpsn

At this point in time, I wouldnt worry too much about it. Obviously, you dont want to overfeed her but my daughter, 6 now, went to a dr visit when she was 4 and I was told she was overweight and would be obese if I didnt start her on some kind of diet. Well I didnt "see" her as that and to me, she's just a normal little girl. So I watched what she ate but didn't make an issue out of it bc I didnt want her to get a complex. She has started school and I got her into dance/tumbling/tap class and she has slimmed down some. It could be maybe she needs some activities. Once they start school and get into extra activities, they slim down because they burn it all off. Right now, so young, she may not be burning off enough. I wouldn't worry about it right now, just dont let her "over eat".

sweetheart03622

Truthfully, at that age, I really would not worry about it. If you're monitoring her diet and she's not sitting around all day eating cookies and candy, I'm sure she's fine. A lot of kids will get a little chunky in preparation for a growth spurt. All of the kids in my family were always a little chubby, but it never spiraled out of control. She may struggle with it later, but do your best to enstill good eating habits and the aim for a healthy lifestyle and she should be fine. If you're truly concerned, speak with your pediatrician about it, but I really wouldn't worry

Dudesmum

Hi,

I have a 5 year old son, who is very slim, but when he was younger and still drinking a lot of whole fat milk he was a little plump! as soon as he stopped drinking so much the weight just fell off him. Also I always know when he is going to have a height growth spurt as he seems to gain a little weight, then all of a sudden 'whoomp' he shoots up and looks like I've not fed him!!

I know its hard not to worry ( It comes with the mummy territory!) I'd try not to, as long as she has a healthy diet and is running around playing etc, you needn't worry about the odd packet of sweeties or crisps.

HTH

Jo x

sabrads

There are some BMI calculators on line that cater for kids. Maybe enter her details in that and see what comes up.

However if she is active and eating healthily then dont worry too much - just keep an eye on it.

skygoddess86

I have seen it in a lot of kids...they chunk up a bit than shoot up a couple inches...thin out, start over. I think its normal for a child her age to be like that. Ask her pediatrician, I bet he/she will say no worries.

HollyMcCaw

I know where you're coming from my 4 year old daughter is the ideal weight for her age (this came from the Dr.'s office), but all she ever wants to do is eat eat eat, like every 40 minutes. Of course she doesn't get something everytime she asks but I Worry that she will pick up my mentality about eating. She has an incredible amount of energy as well. As far as the Wii if she enjoys doing the activities and you think it is a good way for her to get some energy out, we recently got our daughter Wii Nickelodeon Fit. It is awesome!! She loves it so much and it's a great way for them to do when they cant get out and bike in run during the winter!

curleesam

I definitely would not worry yet. At three years old don't forget that you control everything that goes in her mouth so I guess just make sure she isnt eating McDonalds everyday and make sure she is playing outside and running around like kids do. My niece is 3y/o and her mum told me about a programme with Supernanny where she explained that most parents of toddlers unknowingly overfeed their children on portion sizes as 3y/o kids do not need as much food as you think. Maybe have a look online just to check that you are giving her the right amounts.

Certainly don't go putting her on a diet, she is far too young for that.

dspearsb

I wouldn't worry about her too much, she's only 3. Her body will change so much before she even gets to Kindergarten. I have two daughters. The oldest was 9lbs 5oz at birth and was overweight until 15 months old (so badly her weight prevented her from crawling and using her large muscles properly-she needed occupational therapy). She's 4 now and only 35lbs! I couldn't get the girl to gain any weight if I tried. My second daughter was only 7lbs 14oz but has always had a huge appetite (literally eats from morning 'til bedtime)-but she is also underweight only 25lbs for a 2 1/2 yr old. I wouldn't go by the Wii, I'd consult her doctor but from experience they won't be concerned until grade school.

curleesam

I have seen it in a lot of kids...they chunk up a bit than shoot up a couple inches...thin out, start over. I think its normal for a child her age to be like that. Ask her pediatrician, I bet he/she will say no worries.

Very wise words!! My 3m old changes daily, I am always surprised at how quickly she grows so I imagine your 3 y/o will shoot up and even out before you know it!

alisons7598

I was reading the book that came with the wii and i read where it said that the BMI is based for adults because it's harder to do with the children. Don't worry about it. She's young, active, healthy. Let her play with the wii and get some activity in if nothing else but let her be 3 and not sweat the stuff that I'm sure will come later in life. BTW my 3 yr old who is very active and much smaller then my others were at that age was classified as overweight last year. I took her yesterday to be checked and she has gained in height and weight and it's evened out now. I'm sure you're daughter will do that too:)

MyaPapaya75

I totally agree with the person who said read the documentation...provide activities and healthy choices in regards to food and she will be fine..make sure your in no way letting her see this weight thing as a struggle for you ...you will be surprised over time the choices she will make on her own 1 pack of smarties candies vs the apple dipped in peanut butter..surprisingly lots of kids choose the apple..especially when parents stop using candy as a "treat"...it doesnt have to be candy or cookies to be a treat ..think outside of the box..good luck!

wiggleroom

My girls (now 12 and 15) were roly poly little things as toddlers, but I knew they were healthy. I never restricted them -- I did much like you're doing, and just made sure they got lots of fruits and vegetables and occasional treats. We never have had chips and soda in the house -- those are restaurant-only items. But they have ice cream and cookies and things about every other day; they can have a couple pieces of candy or a pudding or something when they want. Honestly, they're not as active as I'd like on a daily basis (they're bookish!), but one girl is active with horseback riding/grooming and the other is in dance classes. They like the Wii games (Sport as well as Fit) and they do the Wii Free Run/Step while watching tv.

When we talk about food choices, I ALWAYS talk about how healthy vs. unhealthy food makes us FEEL, not how it makes us look. My 15 year old has figured out that fried food makes her cranky and tired, so she started ordering grilled things when we're out -- with zero prompting from me.

I find that if I'm honest with them about why a healthy lifestyle is a better choice (again, NEVER mentioning appearance), they learn to make the choices themselves. Much more powerful than Mama choosing for them.

In short -- you are doing the right things already. Keep it up and don't stress.

wispykrispy

No worries! It sounds like she's perfectly normal and you're doing a great job with her nutrition! Next time you bring her for a checkup you can ask them to show you the growth charts and help you understand them or you can look at them here http://www.cdc.gov/growthcharts/data/set1clinical/cj41l022.pdf and http://www.cdc.gov/growthcharts/data/set1clinical/cj41l024.pdf Those are probably better judges of her appropriate weight than the wii. It's important to remember that you should never put a child that's still growing on a diet. If the child is overweight the goal isn't to have them lose weight, but to maintain his/her weight --- as she grows taller she'll have a healthier BMI if her weight doesn't increase

Mamaheatherhg

You to be honest most kids have a belly but they grow out of it. Sounds like she is very acitve she'll burn it off herself. Don't worry about it just keep an eye on if she keeps gaining. And maybe cute the junk food to maybe every 2 weeks. I understand how you feel last yr my son was 7 and he was overweight he weighed 100lbs YIKES!!! He has gotten taller and he has slimmed down on his own. So I understand that fear, I don't want my son to go through what I did. Just remember she is only 3, if you start having issues with her weight too, she will pick it up and a complex with take hold of her. I use to say things to my parents about hayden needing to lose the weight not thinking he was listening and he was and for a long time he would ask about his weight and step on the scale alot to see if he lost anything. It's gotten alot better he doesn't ask anymore, but I could see the start of an obession and a complex and i wasn't going to let that happen.

loseit4ever

I have seen it in a lot of kids...they chunk up a bit than shoot up a couple inches...thin out, start over. I think its normal for a child her age to be like that. Ask her pediatrician, I bet he/she will say no worries.

Very wise words!! My 3m old changes daily, I am always surprised at how quickly she grows so I imagine your 3 y/o will shoot up and even out before you know it!

I feel the same way. My son was a little "chunky" from the time around 2 to right around the end of age three. According to my doctor, he was at a healthy weight, and a number of months before he turned four, he shot up in height and seemed to slim down a bit. As long as you make sure she is active and offer her healthy choices, she should be fine. It is way too early to worry!

nikapp13

Worried mummy. You may want to read the documentation that came with the Wii Fit. As I recall there was some disclaimer that ndicated the program is not very accurate at measuring the BMI for children. At 3, I would keep her active, but its much too early to worry. :-)

i totally agree...all children are different i have 4 year old twin girls and theyre both healthy happy and active... they eat most things (as i type theyre digging into chicken, vegetables and rice -- to be followed by a banana and then some ice cream for a treat) One of my daughters is tall and "chunky" and has a bit of a belly, the other is petite and a real "skinny mini" but they both eat the same its just down to their build i guess.
i can understand that you dont want her to have the same issues as you had as a child but she is a child and the last thing you want is her to end up with an eating disorder at an early age because she is worried about a bit of puppy fat. As long as she has a good varied diet and gets plenty of exercise then i wouldnt worry too much.

KariQuiteContrary

Absolutely don't worry about her at that age. I have two children age 4 and 7 and my mom has a Wii fit which we let the kids get on for fun......one came up underweight (she eats like a horse!) and the other came up as overweight (and she is my naturally healthy eater) . Wii fit is not, I believe, a good tool for determining the "healthy weight" for your child. Her eating habits and activity seem to be all healthy and appropriate. If you're still concerned, encourage more active play. Get a game for kids for the wii that requires a little more movement. Depending on where you live, find and activity that you can do together (my kids love going for bike rides in the summer and ice skating in the winter - ice skating by the way....great way to burn some calories for you as well!). Don't, whatever you do, make a big deal out of food. Being overly restrictive or overly relaxed with food in childhood can and does cause weight issues later in life. Just continue to model and teach healthy eating habits. (And YES! Healthy eating habits do involve letting yourself indulge every now and again). Children at her age often put on a little extra in the tummy right before a growth spurt. It's just her little body preparing for the large amount of energy it's about to expend. I am not a medical professional by any means and don't promote myself as a person with all the answers. What I am is a teacher and much of my opinions come from experience and observation. I see all types of kids with all types of bodies every day. I can tell which ones have parents who model healthy eating habits at home and which do not. You sound like a very attentive mom which gives your beautiful little girl an advantage already!