This Has Helped My Peace of Mind
from parentcenter.com
Ask the Experts
Should I worry about my child's weight if he's active?
By Amanda Leonard, registered dietitian
Question: My child is overweight but very active. Should I worry about his weight?
Answer: My first thought would be to ask you how you know that he's really overweight. If he's in the 85th or 95th percentile or higher for weight, as long as he's in a similar percentile for height, he may be perfectly proportionate, even though he may seem a little chubby to you. But if he's in a much higher percentile for weight than for height, that's a red flag.Of course, your child may still grow into his weight — that is, he may get taller while maintaining his weight or just gaining slightly. nullMany elementary-school-aged children still have plenty of growing to do, so you can't really make a weight judgment at this point.The fact that your child is active is a big step in the right direction. A study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Family Physicians showed a direct correlation between lack of activity and childhood obesity. So continue encouraging your child to be active and applaud his efforts. And take solace in the fact that most kids who are truly overweight aren't active. If your child is going, going, going, 24/7, chances are he really isn't overweight after all.If you're still concerned about your child's weight, and his doctor agrees that he could stand to lose a few pounds, try to get him to eat a healthy, low-fat diet and to drink skim milk — and do the same yourself. His diet should mirror an adult's in that he should get no more than 30 percent of his calories from fat. In addition, avoid using food for comfort or as a reward: "If you're a good boy and finish all of your spinach, you can have chocolate cake for dessert." This teaches children to place certain values on food and can lead to overeating.
Nathan weighed in at 72 lb last night - and yes, I know that it is not good to weigh at night. He has no clue that this high weight bothers me. Thank goodness. That means I have done a good job at hiding my ever-present and increasingly growing concern for his weight. But, you know, he is a very tall child. And he is very active. Yes, he could make better food choices and we are working on that. So, I think we are headed in the right direction.
Ask the Experts
Should I worry about my child's weight if he's active?
By Amanda Leonard, registered dietitian
Question: My child is overweight but very active. Should I worry about his weight?
Answer: My first thought would be to ask you how you know that he's really overweight. If he's in the 85th or 95th percentile or higher for weight, as long as he's in a similar percentile for height, he may be perfectly proportionate, even though he may seem a little chubby to you. But if he's in a much higher percentile for weight than for height, that's a red flag.Of course, your child may still grow into his weight — that is, he may get taller while maintaining his weight or just gaining slightly. nullMany elementary-school-aged children still have plenty of growing to do, so you can't really make a weight judgment at this point.The fact that your child is active is a big step in the right direction. A study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Family Physicians showed a direct correlation between lack of activity and childhood obesity. So continue encouraging your child to be active and applaud his efforts. And take solace in the fact that most kids who are truly overweight aren't active. If your child is going, going, going, 24/7, chances are he really isn't overweight after all.If you're still concerned about your child's weight, and his doctor agrees that he could stand to lose a few pounds, try to get him to eat a healthy, low-fat diet and to drink skim milk — and do the same yourself. His diet should mirror an adult's in that he should get no more than 30 percent of his calories from fat. In addition, avoid using food for comfort or as a reward: "If you're a good boy and finish all of your spinach, you can have chocolate cake for dessert." This teaches children to place certain values on food and can lead to overeating.
Nathan weighed in at 72 lb last night - and yes, I know that it is not good to weigh at night. He has no clue that this high weight bothers me. Thank goodness. That means I have done a good job at hiding my ever-present and increasingly growing concern for his weight. But, you know, he is a very tall child. And he is very active. Yes, he could make better food choices and we are working on that. So, I think we are headed in the right direction.
4 Comments:
The article is very reassuring. I'm glad it's giving you peace of mind. You are the best role model for him!
Hugs. And a great article. I, too, am glad it's helping you with your concerns. But the best thing is that Nathan is a happy, healthy guy.
That's funny that you posted about this, because I entered Monkey Man's height/weight in a BMI calculator for kids and it came up with this shrieking "your child is in danger of becoming overweight!" thing. Honestly, he is a BIG kid, the biggest in his whole pre-K by a long shot. But he is not overweight by any stretch of the imagination.
I think N couldn't possibly have a better role model in terms of fitness and nutrition than you are! You're doing a great job, but I know how hard it is not to let the "experts" freak you out.
ITA w/ the others that N has the best possible role model in you. I know you have your concerns, but I truly think he is very proportionate w/ his height & weight. I'm glad you came across this article.
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