school says granddaughter too fat

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  • waskier
    waskier Posts: 254 Member
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    What does your granddaughter's family doctor or pediatrician say?

    Using the figures you gave, according to the CDC Healthy Weight BMI Percentile Calculator for Child and Teen English Version, your granddaughter weighs more than 99% of the girls her age and height.

    http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/dnpabmi/Calculator.aspx

    I'd say a visit to her pediatrician is in order and you should listen very carefully to their advice. If the doctor agrees with the school assessment, let the nurse visit. You might find it helpful for the whole family.

    We too often get defensive about criticism that is meant to be constructive. Kids know nothing about nutrition. If the family isn't well versed either, where should the knowledge come from? We may not like to hear it, but sometimes we need to be brutally honest with ourselves.
  • inside_lap
    inside_lap Posts: 738 Member
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    I think you should tell the school that you will go by your (the child's) pediatrician's recommendations, and have the child checked by her pediatrician, letting the pediatrician know what the school said. While it's true that there is a lot of variability and that the family knows the child better than the school, the flip side is as we all know obesity is a huge (no pun intended) and growing health problem in our society and the problem begins for most people in early childhood. So- it's best to be sure. Check with the pediatrician.

    I think this response was well put. It is also very difficult to objectively judge things like healthy weight in people that we love.

    For those who think this is out of line for a school nurse -- schools screen children for eyesight and vision problems, and check them for lice; how is this so different?

    I agree. People are actually making a huge issue of the fact that schools SHOULD be taking responsiblity for weight/nutirition because the rest of us (using the big us of course) are too lazy/busy/whatever to parent our own children. I for one, don't agree, and think parent's need to take more responsilbity for their children instead of pushing it on the teachers. But right, this doesn't sound like teasing or picking on a child. Sounds like one of those basic screners that come up in school, doctors offices, etc. If your worried, take her to her physician. Besides, whats the harm in getting a FREE visit from a nutritionist. Sounds like it might be good for everyone. I would totally be open to a free visit from a nutritionist!
  • fit4lifeUcan2
    fit4lifeUcan2 Posts: 1,458 Member
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    When we got a letter a few years ago about our youngest saying that he was extremely under weight first thing we did was get him in for a check up asap. I had always figured he was just like me and my husband and our other kids and would just be tall and lanky as we were at that age. Dr. confirmed there was nothing wrong with him. He was just very active with a good metabolism that I would love to have again. Don't take offense to it just get her to the dr. and ask the professional about it. Schools around here are doing this as well and have been for quite awhile. The majority of kids in our town are obese. Muscular at the age of 4? I doubt that. Don't try and kid yourself. Get her a check up and get real answers.
  • fit4lifeUcan2
    fit4lifeUcan2 Posts: 1,458 Member
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    "Parents who have obese children know they have obese children. This program is not "for the greater good" it's a boneheaded idea that is based off a bad scaling system. Since my daughter's pediatrician is perfectly happy with her, the school sending a note saying she is fat is not going to do anything but make her uncomfortable about her weight. This is out of line."


    This statement is not true. I work in the healthcare industry and many parents are incredibly ignorant as to how much food to feed their kids and how fat they should be. We need more education.
    I also agree and want to add that most parents who have obese children are in denial about it because most of the time they themselves are also obese. Just get her to the dr. and get a true professional opinion and don't get defensive about a letter from the school nurse. Don't make excuses for her either like its all muscle. yeah right. not at that age it isn't.
  • AmyP619
    AmyP619 Posts: 1,137 Member
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    What does your granddaughter's family doctor or pediatrician say?

    Using the figures you gave, according to the CDC Healthy Weight BMI Percentile Calculator for Child and Teen English Version, your granddaughter weighs more than 99% of the girls her age and height.

    http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/dnpabmi/Calculator.aspx

    you're basically saying what the nurse said and missed the part where the OP mentioned the nurse is basing this on the SCALE. Yes, she might WEIGH more than other kids, but it's all in the way they carry it/how they're built.
  • lwagnitz
    lwagnitz Posts: 1,321 Member
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    Muscular at the age of 4? I doubt that. Don't try and kid yourself. Get her a check up and get real answers.

    I'm sorry, but when I was young and this age I was muscular as all hell. You could SEE the muscles and I had visible abs. I was always on the high end of the charts for my height because of this. I wouldn't doubt it in the least.
  • MissyJessy
    MissyJessy Posts: 1,279 Member
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    my son is 4 years old about 3 feet tall and only weights 35lbs... but most kids his age around here are sitting between 35-40lbs
  • yuckidah
    yuckidah Posts: 290 Member
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    I'd take heed & think of it as a little wake-up call about something I may be too close to see.
    And I'd be pleased that schools are finally taking a pro-active approach to a very big & prevalent problem (especially in the USA).
    A trip to the dr to get a 2nd opinion would be all I'd need to be convinced (either way).
  • MMAQueen
    MMAQueen Posts: 279 Member
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    Are you sure your not to close to her to see that she may actually be over weight? This is pretty common, just like behaviour issues, parents/grand parents don't always see because they love their children.

    I'm not saying that is the case, but something to consider. I think it's great that the school is trying to be pro-active in helping it's students.
  • RobynLB
    RobynLB Posts: 617 Member
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    Muscular at the age of 4? I doubt that. Don't try and kid yourself. Get her a check up and get real answers.

    I'm sorry, but when I was young and this age I was muscular as all hell. You could SEE the muscles and I had visible abs. I was always on the high end of the charts for my height because of this. I wouldn't doubt it in the least.

    If you can see the kid's abs, it's a pretty good indication that his/her body fat is not too high. That's now my nephew was (within normal weight) and my boyfriend's son (overweight).
  • freckles_cmj
    freckles_cmj Posts: 205 Member
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    It is probably a standard letter they send out based solely on BMI or some other "standard"
  • leomom72
    leomom72 Posts: 1,797 Member
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    tell them to mind their own business..unless she is teased to no end, it is none of their concern..teachers now adays think they mean well, and are trying to do whats best for the kids, but what they dont realize is it pisses us as parents off, and really give us no say in what to do with OUR OWN kids..its infuriating..see what a pediatrician says first, and dont take their crap..dont let yourself be bullied by what THEY want and think:mad: :grumble:
  • raggyanndoll
    raggyanndoll Posts: 176
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    I am one of those people who are "solid". I have always weighed more than I look like I weigh. I weigh more than other people who are the same height and build as me. It's just the way it is for some of us.

    I see a lot of kids out there who can barely play or can't play for long outside because of their weight. If your daughter is active, can do whatever she wants physically for as long as she wants to, I would ignore the comments you are getting. Of course we monitor all aspects of our children's health, but it doesn't sound to me like your daughter is in any danger. She sounds like a person like me who is just built solid.

    When my son was young, I got a very intrusive letter from my son's school about his vision. He had already been seeing an opthomologist for three years by that time and the school wanted me to sign a letter that he was under a doctor's care. They were incredibly pushy about it and threatened to report me to Child Protective Services if I did not sign because my child was at risk for health problems. I told them in writing that they would never, ever again screen my child for anything without my permission. Never. Schools are not medical clinics. I could not believe this experience.
  • freckles_cmj
    freckles_cmj Posts: 205 Member
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    Some little kids can indeed be very muscular too..my dd is a gymnast and has been since she was 2 and has always been very muscular
  • kokoforskinny
    kokoforskinny Posts: 91 Member
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    I don't understand how a 4 year old girl could get that muscular though?
    [/quote

    The 4 yr old girl could easily be in sports, dance or any other kind of physical activity. My niece is two and she is in dance. Muscle will add weight as we all know. Can anyone really sit here and think that this grandparent don't care about the weight if she is on this website? I think it is ridiculous that the school would even send that home. 44 lbs for a 4 yr old does not sound bad at all.
  • mjoslin1990
    mjoslin1990 Posts: 142 Member
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    She sounds a bit on the bigger side for her height. I have 8 children. At 4 years old they have ranged from 33" to 38" tall and been between 25 1/4 pounds to 30.5 pounds. Now my husband and I are quite small people and my children will always be on the smaller side. If her parents are bigger people she would probably lean the other way from mine. I would go by what the child's doctor says.

    Those numbers are for my 7 oldest kids. The youngest is just a year old.

    My son is a beast then! He was just at the doctors and is already at 35 1/2 inches and 32.3 pounds..... Hes not even 2 yet (just hit 22months)

    With that being sad, I know my son is tall (and weighs a lot for his age) but every child is different. I was told by the nutritionist and his doctor that yes it is important to monitor weight/height, but not to really worry until the child reaches about 6-7yrs old.

    I would be very upset to know know that instead of teaching my son his abc's and 123's they are throwing him on a scale trying to figure out who's "obese" or not in class.
  • Thisisnotadiet
    Thisisnotadiet Posts: 89 Member
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    agree with jrbb03092 and PamelaKuz
  • PamelaKuz
    PamelaKuz Posts: 191 Member
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    I really don't get why anyone would be offended by this. Is not about you, it's about the child. If the child is overweight, educate yourself and do something about it. Get a dr's opinion, do what you gotta do. It's not ok for kids to be fat, people have to stop pretending it is.
  • fit4lifeUcan2
    fit4lifeUcan2 Posts: 1,458 Member
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    http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/dnpabmi/

    CDC's bmi for children.
  • Blown_Away1
    Blown_Away1 Posts: 123 Member
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    I have a niece who is so solid, you would think she were made of metal if you solely based on weight. She is solid muscle with appropriate fat layer for a girl her age. She is also very tall, the tallest in her school, athletic, intelligent and a brickhouse! She is not fat, and she has always been high on the charts from birth. He doctor told her mom to make sure she keeps using her muscles and everything will continue to be fine!

    ^^this^^ and get the doctors information on your granddaughter 'on record' in case the school tries to pull a fast one

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