Is My 8Yr Old over Weight?

M.,

Hello there! I am a pediatric dietitian and I specialize in weight management. If you are correct on your child's measurements (79 lbs, 56 inches) then she is NOT overweight for her age. Her body mass index (BMI) is 17.72kg/m2 and she plots between 75-80th percentile for her age (depending on if she's closer to 8 or closer to 9 years of age). The definition for overweight in children is when they plot at or above the 95th percentile for BMI. She is tall for her age, so she can handle more weight. It looks like she's fine. If she continues to gain weight more than she is growing and her BMI starts falling in the 85th percentile range, then we call that "at risk" for being overweight. But she's not there. Your mother is correct, there is an obesity epidemic in children. However, we need to be careful not to overreact with our normal kids.

I see overweight kids all day long, and what I suggest doing is just focus on a healthy lifestyle for obesity prevention....moderation of all foods with emphasis on low-fat meats, whole grains and plenty of vegetables. Limit "screen time" (TV, computer, etc.) to under 2 hours/day and encourage active play that she enjoys doing. Limit eating out and have as many family meals without phone, TV distractions to encourage eating for hunger only. Keep the calories out of beverages (except skim milk) and you should be fine. Biggest suggestion....MODEL the behaviors you want to see in her. Oh, the other big suggestion....avoid you and your mother discussing the weight concern in front of her. You don't want to encourage any body image issues. There are too many of those influences coming from the outside world as it is!

Here is more useful information that should make you feel better:
http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/bmi/childrens_BMI/about_c...

I hope this helps!

God Bless,
A.

4 moms found this helpful

I thought it was recommended to eat many times a day not just to eat three big meals...stokes the fires of the ol' metabolism. Your mother's concern is probably born out of love,and being a nurse she is very aware of the health risks associated with childhood obesity, Diabetes being a big one! But instead of helping, it might actually cause your daughter to have more stress and anxiety related to food choices, proportions, and frequency of meals...Don't believe for a minute that she won't pick up on the vibes your mother is sending out...body image is very important. Eliminate 95% of the junk food in the house. NO sodas! Very little juice...I wish we could get kids today to drink WATER (All the other mammals are doing it!)...I think eating a cookie or two is fine...but to DRINK all that sugar is a really bad habit...that lasts a lifetime. I also have concerns about the use of artificial sweeteners...it has not been shown to be helpful in adults losing weight...we are fatter than ever with more diet products available than ever before...We are a Nation Obsessed and its NOT helping...which makes me want to ask, and I really hope not to offend...but does your mother have a weight concern of her own? My dear MIL is absolutely neurotic about dieting and cannot help but project it out on anyone else who is overweight. She makes similar comments to my sister in law's children and to me all the time... again... out of love, but its hurtful sometimes.

I think its a good idea to teach fitness and good nutrition rather than emphasize body size, weight and intake restrictions in this situation...I bet that is what your Pedi will say, too.

Good Luck!
Marianne

1 mom found this helpful

Go to the DOCTOR and ask him/her!! The laughing/coughing sounds like asthma and/or allergies. The doctor can look at height and weight and tell you much better than your mom can.

I know this may sounds superficial and I am aware that not all children are the same, but how is she in comparison to the other girls in her class? If you see a big difference in size, then you should be a bit concerned. But if she is more or less the same or runs average in size in comparison, then don't worry about her weight just yet. But do have the coughing fits checked out.
Also, if she does tend to eat a lot, keep her active in some sport or dancing. I saw an episode on Dr Phil about a 3 yr old who weighed 150 lbs. Not THAT is obese. A little overweight and obsese are 2 different things. Being a little overweight is better than being underweight. Kids are not supposed to be skinny anyways. They look so much prettier and healthier with meat on their bones!

Calculating her Body Mass Index (BMI) is the best way to tell if she is overweight.

Childhood obesity is a very big problem right now, so finding out sooner than later is the best thing to do.

I would take her for a well child check up and spefically ask where she stands on the growth charts.

Maybe your mom is saying these warning signs so that you can make the decision to take her to the doctor, instead of telling you to.

I found a chart to use, the kind the doctors use online. hth
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhanes/growthcharts/set1clin...

Im thinking I would take her to the Dr. Mine is nine today, and she is 51 inches tall and 63 lbs. We took her in August for her yearly. And they charted her, like they do when they are babies. They make her pee in a cup, and every other year take her blood and check it. I would schedule her yearly and ask your Dr if he thinks you should be concerned!! I think too kids are just bigger then what they use to be when we were growing up!! Gotta Love it When its your own mom telling you this!!! Gotta Love Em!!!!

Hi M.! I also worry about my daughter who is 6 years old and wants to eat and eat. I have limited what she eats daily because I noticed that she has started looking like she is growing boobs.........check this out though. You can read below or go to the website. About.com also has a Childrens growth interactive Calculator.

http://pediatrics.about.com/cs/usefultools/l/bl_kids_cent...

Childhood Obesity
From Vincent Iannelli, M.D.,
Your Guide to Pediatrics.
About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by our Medical Review Board

Question of the Week
Q. My daughter is 4ft and she is 8 years old and 4 mon and she weighs 69lbs. Is she overweight and should I be doing something about it if she is? Dorothy, Pasadena, MD
A. The best way to tell if a child is overweight or not is to check their body mass index.

Using our online BMI Calculator, you can see that an 8 year 4 month old girl who is 4 feet tall and weighs 69 pounds, has a BMI of 21.1. That puts her at the 95th percentile and means that she is at risk of becoming overweight. Children over the 95th percentile are considered to be overweight.

But remember that BMI doesn't measure body fat, so it is possible to be overweight but not 'fat.' People who are very muscular can have a high BMI, low body fat, and are not really 'overweight.' If you think that your child is very muscular, talk to your Pediatrician about these results to see if she really is overweight.

From checking our growth charts, you can see that while she is near the top of the charts for her weight, her height is below average. That is what makes her BMI high.

Even though she isn't officially overweight, since she is at risk of becoming overweight, you should do something about it. Among the first things you should do is schedule an appointment with your Pediatrician to review her growth chart from the last few years, her diet, and her activity level.

Our articles on childhood obesity may also be helpful.

Keep in mind that if she hasn't gained a lot of weight recently, has a healthy diet, and is fairly active, then you may not have to make any big changes to what she is already doing. As she enters puberty and goes through a growth spurt, she will get taller and probably 'grow into her weight,' as long as she doesn't put on too much extra weight.

Also, many girls put on a little extra weight just before starting puberty, although that may be a few years away since she is only 8 years old.

If her diet isn't very healthy, with a lot of fast food, junk food, and soda, or if she is a 'couch potato' and rarely exercises, then you should make some changes so that she doesn't become overweight.

M.,

I don't know how much this will help, because all kids are built differently, but my 8 yr old daughter is about 4'7" and weighs 63 pounds. She is a very "solid" girl...you know how some kids just feel like they are filled with cement and others are filled air? Sounds silly, but she is solid. I don't think a size 10 sounds unreasonable for that age, mine wears that size sometimes too. I would just ask the pedi next time you are in and if she wants snacks, just tell her "healthy snacks only". Carrot sticks, celery, apples, string cheese, etc. Hope this helps, just be loving and kind and she will be fine!

C.

I think your mom is right. I was skinny all my young years and weighed 90 pounds in high school at even at 17. I had this little girl 9 years old about that size and she weighed in at 85 pounds. She does not look fat really fat but the first thing she did for awhile was keep looking for when we were going to eat. We have schedules of when we eat. That is why the government food program makes us feed then every three hours. Small snacks inbetween meals. Portions, fruits and veggies. Please listen to your mom and get all the unhealthy snacks out of the house. Use whole grain foods and tons of fruits and veggies. This little girl was eating me out of my home. My bill was $1,000 a month to feed kids. She would not stop if there was food left over and kept wanting to eat brothers who does not touch anything. Then she went home and ate again with the family and his again. She is going to be really fat. She does not look heavy but if she sits on you there is no way you can get up. The hands are full, neck full and stomach is protruding a little. Next summer I am not going to feed her like that. I am giving the proportions recommended. It has a lot to do with stupid parents. They give their chiidren anything they want as as long as they want something they get it. This girl said she gets her way by telling the parents she will not speak to them if she does not get it. I was so happy when schools started. She would not keep quiet while my little ones slept. Now when they are all asleep I get to sleep or rest too. Wonderful and I need it after playing hard with them all morning and getting a snack and lunch over with. I also had a nephew that weighed 100 lbs and he was only 6 years old. My friend weighed 150 in high school and now is so fat no one wants to be friends with her. I now am 150 so it catches up to you. Maidenly growing old. But I really am not that over weight. I need to lose about 10 pounds. It is fairly easy to do that. I skip meals until I get there. Yes I would like to get back to 135 but with meds it is not happening. If they get fat young it is a nightmare to keep it off older. Fat cells beg to be fed. Good luck, G. W

I have 2 10 yr olds and I can tell you she is probably on the larger side of normal. I have one that is almost 5 foot tall and weighs 95 lbs but thin because of her height and my other one is 4'8" and she weighs 85 and she just started thinning out. I know from experience as an obese child it will change when you hit puberty. Some children are just heavier than others. As long as they eat well with well monitored serving sizes and some form of exercise you will be fine. I try real hard to cook healthy meals and monitor the serving sizes. We are also pushing them all the time to get outside and move. The coughing after laughing has nothng to do with obesity. I am a big girl and have been most of my life and I don't caugh after laughing and only do when I am sick.

making sure your child gets the right amount of exerice and vitamins and minerals will help with this. Try this website and get her on the shakes and vitamins for more energy and health. http://dadazzleinnutrition.com/ret/
You won't believe the change!

Well I don't really know how much she should weigh but my 11 year old son is about 4'10 and weighs about 65lbs. If you have questions about it you may want to take her to her family doctor for a check up and ask them. Atleast you will have a second opinion from another doctor.

Whether it's asthma or obesity.. they are both signs that you guys need to eat healthier. If she wants to eat snacks give her fresh fruits or veggies.. you can even make them into fun shapes.

My daughter just turned 9 in August and had her nine year well check-up this past Tuesday. Her weight was 83lbs and she wears about a size 12 in pants and a 10/12 in tops. She doesn't look fat at all and her doctor didn't say one word that would indicate she thought it was an issue, in fact she said the opposite, that she looked and seemed very healthy. So, I don't think your daughter has a weight problem at all. What she is heading for is a self esteem problem if you don't tell your mother to mind her own business - she's already raised her kids. Sorry to be so cold but stuff like this really ticks me off because I've always struggled with keeping my weight in check and I unfortunately have a problem with letting my weight determine how I feel and sometimes, I can have pretty bad days. Even if your daughter is grazing all day as long as it's not oreos, she should be fine. Don't stress about it, sounds like she's ok to me.

I had a similar problem with my daughter. Since the age of 3 she was overweight for her age. My doctor was the one to point it out to me and give me lots of guidance on improving her health. We started by getting rid of the junk food and only keeping healthy options for her to choose from. If its not in the house she cant eat it. I would make her a veggie tray for after school with some low calorie dressing, if you make it look pretty and special they will not even care if its healthy. The biggest problem was portion control, I had no idea how much was enough and would give her adult size meals.
My doctor also required us to get her to do some physical activity for at least 30 min. a day. We signed her up for karate and went 3 times a week. We took a 30 minute walk everyday and I cant even describe the change in her body and especially her confidence within 2 months.
I too was like you and couldnt see how heavy she was until I looked at pictures from the month before and couldnt believe I hadnt seen it.
If you play with her she wont even realize it exercise. Just 30 minutes will make a great change.
My daughter is now 11 and very active. She loves to swim and rollerblade and is very healthy. So I wish you and you beutiful daughter good health

The first thing is: Don't freak out! (especially in front of your daughter). If *you* are worried about her weight/size/health, talk to her doctor WITHOUT her hearing you (while she's at school, maybe?) ... I looked up the CDC's growth chart for girls: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhanes/growthcharts/set1clin...
According to that chart, if your daughter is just 8, 56" is taller than the 95% by 2 inches, and 79 lbs. is exactly at 95%. And if she's 8 1/2, then 56 in. is just a bit over the 95% and 79 lbs. is just under the 90%. SO... She is perfectly healthy (height & weight wise ... get the asthma concern checked out right away!), and is probably the tallest girl in her class! Tell your mom to back off before she GIVES her an eating disorder, and to study at least the basic information put out by the CDC before she damages your daughter's body image, and your self-esteem with false accusations!
Good Luck!

Not to discount your mom, but I think you should definitely see what your pediatrician says. I actually have some growth charts that go up to age 20 for girls. Based on the weight and height you gave, she is 95th percentile weight, but OFF THE CHARTS for height...so, proportionally speaking, she may not be 'overweight' for her age. Also, I think websites like babycenter.com or webmd.com will have BMI calculators even for children this age, and that should give you a better indication of whether or not you need to worry. Given her height though, she may be fine, but definitely ask your daughter's pediatrician.
EDIT: I found the link for BMI calculators for children/teens: it is http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/dnpabmi/calculator.aspx. I wasn't sure how close to her birthday your daughter is, so I input her numbers based on her being 8 years old or 9 years old, and in both cases, she is calculating a HEALTHY BMI.

I am sure you daughter is okay now but I would try and get her into an activity. Gymnastics, dance, swimming, soccor or a lifetime sport like tennis or golf. See what interest her and she has time for after school. Also make sure she in not getting lots of empty calories like fruit juice, chips etc. A growing childs diet should have complex carbs, unsat. fat (healthy fat) and protein like chicken (not fried) fish and turkey and lots of veggies. If you have any other question about diet please let me know. (This is what I did before I had my little one I worked with children on healthy lifestyle habits)

I know most people said to only give her fruit and veggies for snacks, but another idea is to give her some lean protein. That might actually fill her up. Turkey, low-fat cheese, etc is a great snack, just no bread. If she's eating out of boredom, the veggies will work, but if she's eating because she is actually hungry - try some protein.

I would call the pedi and ask to speak to the nurse, so she can note why you are making the appointment, and you can talk freely to her. The surest way to get either an obese or an anorexic child is to obsess about her weight in front of her. The changes you make should be for the household - not just for her. Since she is an only child, that should be easy. Also - don't keep all treats from her, or she will just start sneaking them at school. Do not call it a diet - remember, her self-esteem and body image are forming right now. You don't want her to obsess - just be healthy. By making changes now - you and her will be healthy together. Good luck!

My daughter went through the same thing at that age! She's now 10yrs old and 5'2" or 5'3" and 120lbs. The most important thing right now is to not let anyone tell her she is fat or obese and avoid damage to her self-esteem. Promote healthy eating habits and exercise. My daughter had a bad habit of eating 2 or 3 servings at dinner and I learned that it helped to have her eat a healthy salad with a low-fat or fat free dressing before dinner. Encourage her to wait between servings and recognize whether she is truly still hungry. Offer lots of fresh fruits and veggies for snacks.

As long as she's not using food for a solution to another problem, such as boredom or depression, and as long as she's make healthy choices and staying active, she should be fine. She is tall so she is naturally going to weigh more. But I would still recommend a complete check up with her doctor to rule out any other issues.

If you'd like to talk to another mom who's been there before, feel free to message me!

Hi M.,
I would talk to your doctor and determine what percental for height and weight she is compared to other in her age group. If she is somewhere in the middle, maybe there isn't anything to worry about. Either way you should be ensuring she gets daily exercise. You can sign her up for dance classes, organized sports or connect with her by both of you walking or riding bikes. I was a heavier child, not fat, but just bigger than my peers and I hated it growing up. So just make sure she has good eating habits now while you have control over her diet. Good luck!