school says granddaughter too fat

Kassadeedle

I would ignore it and just talk to a pediatrician. I will say though that my 4 year old is 43lbs, but he's 3'7". He's very tall for his age but his weight is very proportionate with his height.

djc315

When I was in 3rd grade we did weigh ins in the beginning of the year and at the end. I remember it horrifying me. I was never a fat child but I WAS about a foot taller than everyone else. I don't remember how tall I was but I remember I weighed 78 pounds, I lied and said the scale said 63 pounds. I figured I had to weigh more than my friends because I was taller, but I didn't put together the range was NORMAL AND HEALTHY. I was in a healthy range for my height, I was active and my doctor was not worried about my size. But I was still 20-30 pounds heavier than all my friends. It STILL haunts me and I am 24 years old. I ended up developing an eating disorder in 3rd grade and had it into 6th grade. I literally stopped eating and passed out many times in 3rd grade because of it.

I do not think there is ANY reason a school should be weighing children unless it is given the okay by parents AND it should be done privately.

I would contact the school and ask them the reason they do this. Explain she has a doctor who she sees regularly (as long as she does go yearly) and you thank them for their concern but you would rather this NOT be a school issue because it isn't. But also, make an appointment with her pediatrician and see what they have to say. Don't let it slide, but, don't let the school be involved in it anymore and make it clear they do not need to be.

penrbrown

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.

I hereby co-sign this comment. In fact, we should make this comment a flyer that is mailed to every single home in North America.

AESprouse

My 4 year old granddaughter came home from school with a letter from the school nurse saying she was" obese". She wanted a home visit to discuss proper nutriction and calorie control.

This child weighs 44 pounds is 3 foot tall.

My 2 1/2 year old weighs 40lbs and is 3'2 and he's perfectly healthy. Ignore it.

julesboots

I'm a teacher and I've never heard of this.

Why are they weighing her? I'd call the principal and inquire about this and ask for some sort of rule or law that says the nurse can screen kids for that. Really, schools around me can't screen for ANYTHING unless the parents sign for it. And sending a letter home about obesity is a screening.

Referrals and IEP reports are the main duties of a school nurse. (I also work in a school) I'd guess she's an RN doing part of her job- a discussion is not a big deal- she's doing her job and trying to help, and a lot of families don't have the resources or knowledge, and would appreciate the support. The family always has a right to say no. No need to get indignant.

RBXChas

Going to a doctor isn't always the answer either. Some doctors are too dense to realize there's an issue too. Our doctor tells my 6' 280 lb husband that he's fine, never mentions that if he were 50 lbs lighter he might be able to breath and not be constantly complaining about sore knees and ankles. Pretty sure if I took an overweight kid in to him that he'd dismiss it especially if the parent was making all the noises of not thinking there was an issue. Obesity is one of those things that a lot of people *****foot around because saying anything is so poorly received which is what started this topic in the first place.

I agree some docs are not good. But it's a start. And pediatricians are uniquely trained to monitor growth and development.

THANK YOU. Yes, I agree that overall a lot of doctors don't know much about weight and nutrition, but as far as pediatricians go, monitoring growth, which includes appropriate heights and weights, is part of their job and is something they do on a daily basis - in fact, many, many times a day.

So I agree with everyone else who says that you should check with her doctor to see what s/he says.

Additionally, I'm 32, and I remember being weighed every year in elementary school. I remember (when I was old enough to have such a realization) that it was really awkward because it was during gym class and in front of everyone, both boys and girls. I don't know if they were sending home letters or anything. This was in a NJ public school.

I second the suggestion of the HBO documentary "The Weight of the Nation." It really is eye-opening.

VelociMama

Going to a doctor isn't always the answer either. Some doctors are too dense to realize there's an issue too. Our doctor tells my 6' 280 lb husband that he's fine, never mentions that if he were 50 lbs lighter he might be able to breath and not be constantly complaining about sore knees and ankles. Pretty sure if I took an overweight kid in to him that he'd dismiss it especially if the parent was making all the noises of not thinking there was an issue. Obesity is one of those things that a lot of people *****foot around because saying anything is so poorly received which is what started this topic in the first place.

I agree some docs are not good. But it's a start. And pediatricians are uniquely trained to monitor growth and development.

THANK YOU. Yes, I agree that overall a lot of doctors don't know much about weight and nutrition, but as far as pediatricians go, monitoring growth, which includes appropriate heights and weights, is part of their job and is something they do on a daily basis - in fact, many, many times a day.

So I agree with everyone else who says that you should check with her doctor to see what s/he says.

Additionally, I'm 32, and I remember being weighed every year in elementary school. I remember (when I was old enough to have such a realization) that it was really awkward because it was during gym class and in front of everyone, both boys and girls. I don't know if they were sending home letters or anything. This was in a NJ public school.

I second the suggestion of the HBO documentary "The Weight of the Nation." It really is eye-opening.

^ This.

I also second the HBO documentary watch. It's very good. There's a whole section dedicated to childhood obesity.

Charlie003

My daughter is a stick. She is all muscle. Due to two fight schools 6 days a week. She is 40 pounds, 3 feet something. She is small. Your school nurse is on crack.

SocWkrBee

I would ignore it and just talk to a pediatrician. I will say though that my 4 year old is 43lbs, but he's 3'7". He's very tall for his age but his weight is very proportionate with his height.

Exactly. You son weighs the same as the OP's granddaughter, but is seven inches taller. Childhood obesity is rising at an alarming rate and it because of multiple factors. However, denial is one of these. No one wants to call their child "fat", but it is what it is. I see a lot of "solids" and "builts" being thrown around here. That is not always OK. Accept that some children need to lose weight. Get them moving more, and watch portions and the quality of the food.

redheadmommy

I think it is good that the school monitors kids for such things. Parents/grandparents who love their child no matter what often can not see the problem with them, because they see their child /grandchild them as perfect.

My son exactly your granddaugther age, and I do think 44 lb is a LOT for only 3 feet height. My son is also very muscular solid kid, and he weights not much lower as he weighs 41 lb , but he is 3 feet 5 inch. Your grandkid is 5 inch shorter and 3 lb heavier than he is , which is a lot, imho. I am not saying she is obese or overweight, but ceirtantly she is very heavy for her height, which needs attention.

If I were the parent, I would take my child to a Dr and have a discussion about the issue. Maybe you are right, and she is just excessively muscular. Maybe you can get her a body fat percentage measured to make sure that she in fact is just muscular and not overweight.

I wish my parents would have paid attention to my weight as a child, but they didn't. I was not excessively fat, but I was a bit chubby. My parents never admitted the problem, and kept saying that i am just have a solid build. I wish they had admitted the problem and had taken action in my childhood. From a chubby kid, I became chubby teenager and young adult. I had/have lots of body image problem and have a hard time to set normal weight goals for myself.

rswizzlee

I understand that some schools put an emphasis on health, but they should never do this.

AngryDiet

I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss it. I wouldn't simply accept it either. I'd go to her paediatrician and get an expert opinion. I also wouldn't stress over it until I've seen the doctor.

DEgal99

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.

Actually, they don't.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12226744
http://www.smh.com.au/national/health/parents-blind-to-early-obesity-in-children--report-20121001-26vge.html
http://www.foodmag.com.au/news/parents-unable-to-recognise-when-children-are-obes

OP, a nurse is a medical professional. You should take their advice. She's not sending you a note because she's bored and needs something to do. It's because she sees the possibility of a problem. Take your granddaughter to the doctor. Her pediatrician can help you determine if there is a problem or not, and help you come to a solution if there is.

H2596

The National Child Measurement Programme in the UK measures and weighs children in reception and again in their final year of primary school. Parents can opt out if they choose to do so but will receive a letter from the Primary Care Trust with the results. If I received a letter home stating my child was in the overweight category I would be happy to meet with a professional to discuss further. I don't see that it needs to involve the child in an overt way as a label is not going to do the child any good. If the professional agreed the child wasn't overweight it would put my mind at rest.

PurplePookie

My 4 year old granddaughter came home from school with a letter from the school nurse saying she was" obese". She wanted a home visit to discuss proper nutriction and calorie control.

This child weighs 44 pounds is 3 foot tall. She has no protruding stomach, her butt is normal looking. She has normal looking arms, no excess chub, her face is thin and her neck is thin. She wears normal size childrens clothing sizes with ease. She looks like a normal size little girl with no weight issue. (believe me we watch closely for the kids to not go down our road). But this little girl is solid, she doesn't look it but pick her up and you feel it.

The school is basing their opinion on the scale and not the body. What do you think of this?

I would do two things. One, I would talk to my child's doctor if she hasn't been for a checkup lately to ensure that her growth is on par with how she's been going since birth. If her doctor is concerned then I think there may be something to this.

But, from your stats she doesn't seem like she's too heavy to me. My 3 year old is around 40 lbs but isn't considered overweight - she's right on with her growth chart so far so there is no concern.

I would also talk to the school. I think it may be a good thing that they are trying to ensure kids/parents are taught healthy eating and habits early but they need to do it responsibly. To weigh a child and go solely on that does the child and their program a disservice. Without medical history, growth charts and the like, they cannot properly state if a child of this stature is overweight. The school nurse should know this and if she doesn't you could be the one to inform her.

shianneerin

Goofy, goofy, goofy.

If the school sent anything back to me, I would be offended. It is not their job to monitor my child's weight, it is y husband, my docto and my responsibility. In addition, she is only a school nurse. When I was in school, I was sent home because the nurse thought I had a staff infection and the doc said it was only poision sumac. Send a letter back saying thank you, but no thank you. Go to your doc for a check up, and double check that she is all good.

My 2 yo is 32 pounds and solid as well. My doc says weight is not a concern until she is 5.

AngryDiet

I don't think it's anything to be offended over.

While you might be a great parent, lets face it, there are some pretty bad parents out there. Child care workers really can't judge who is and who isn't, and must act uniformly.

I'd rather have child care workers looking out for their charges than ignoring potential problems. After all, the children's health should be paramount.

We've had day care workers ask us about the occasional bumps and bruises on our children. It's off putting, but really they're just looking out for all of the kids.

samf36

I would go with what the dr says on this.
I am really not thrilled with the trend of schools/government type places being in the business of parenting. People need to take back personal-responsibility and parent. I would flatly refuse a "home visit", none of the schools damn business. Get your gd out side for walks and play and she will be fine.

jrbb03092

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.

Oh, I understand that but they have to start somewhere and they're starting with the scale and the BMI calculator as adjusted for teens and children.

I get it. My daughter is off the charts height-wise and so has always been on the higher end weight-wise even though to look at her she is obviously quite slender.

But I would not flip out at having a letter sent home to me. I would do as I have suggested and see her pediatrician or I would write back and say thank you for your concern, we appreciate it, but so-and-so is 5'8" at 13 which puts her way into the 99th percentile for girls her age which is reflected in her weight.

I just don't see getting so upset about the school wanting to communicate to me that there *might* be a problem.

kelleybean1

Please do not ignore your school nurse. If you look up healthy BMI for children, your granddaughter is indeed obese. A BMI of 23.9 for her age is over 99% of children her age and is way too high. Please talk to your doctor and listen to your nurse, they only want what is best for your granddaughter. Sometimes it's difficult to be objective with the ones we love.