13yr old's pediatrician just told her she is overweight and I am pissed

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At my daughter's well visit and during that time she talked to her about physical activity etc...

My daughter does cross fit in winter, volleyball in Fall, and travel softball year round. She definitely has an athletic body. She wears a size 6 in jeans and a small or medium in shirts/pants. She is 5.25 height and was 151lbs with her clothes and sneakers on.

This pediatrician talked to her about being in the overweight category in the BMI and I almost lost my $hit. My jaw dropped. She looks nothing overweight. She has muscular legs and arms (she is a softball pitcher) and no belly gut. She isn't a twig but man, I was thrown they would talk like this to a girl teen. When we left, I told my daughter to not listen to her and she is strong and beautiful and muscle weights more than fat and not to worry at all. But I know this made her start overthinking. I could see it.

Is this normal? Really thinking of moving doctors.

I mean, Cal Ripken Jr. was obese according to BMI. 🤷‍♀️

http://blog.wannabuddy.com/2012/07/the-tyranny-of-bmi.html

A lot of baseball players are obese. As in fat, too heavy, harming joints, too many steroids. I assume that OP's DD isn't using steroids. But she's too heavy, harming her joints, and will eventually have to worry about high blood pressure, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"Overweight" is not a judgment on your child. It's a clearly defined medical diagnosis. That definition is based on BMI.

You can be "overweight" because you are a highly muscular athlete, or because you are carrying extra fat, or even for other reasons. But "overweight" does not necessarily mean unhealthy. If you treat it that way, you are part of the problem.

- American Academy of Pediatrics Issues Its First Comprehensive Guideline on Evaluating, Treating Children and Adolescents With Obesity
- https://www.aap.org/en/news-room/news-releases/aap/2022/american-academy-of-pediatrics-issues-its-first-comprehensive-guideline-on-evaluating-treating-children-and-adolescents-with-obesity

Well BMI is not for athletes or those with real amount of muscle and the judgement that comes from hearing overweight as a teenage girl are life-altering. So stop using flawed metrics and then making judgements and treatment. Refer for a DEXA if you are really that concerned.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 14yr. old son is 5'.10", 135lbs.

I'm 5'4". 135 lbs.

He's fit and slim, I wear size 6 but could lose a few pounds to look my best. I cannot imagine being 150lbs and not worrying. I would listen to the doctors!

Ick that is a beanpole

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Overweight" is not a judgment on your child. It's a clearly defined medical diagnosis. That definition is based on BMI.

You can be "overweight" because you are a highly muscular athlete, or because you are carrying extra fat, or even for other reasons. But "overweight" does not necessarily mean unhealthy. If you treat it that way, you are part of the problem.

- American Academy of Pediatrics Issues Its First Comprehensive Guideline on Evaluating, Treating Children and Adolescents With Obesity
- https://www.aap.org/en/news-room/news-releases/aap/2022/american-academy-of-pediatrics-issues-its-first-comprehensive-guideline-on-evaluating-treating-children-and-adolescents-with-obesity

Well BMI is not for athletes or those with real amount of muscle and the judgement that comes from hearing overweight as a teenage girl are life-altering. So stop using flawed metrics and then making judgements and treatment. Refer for a DEXA if you are really that concerned.

BMI is for athletes. It just doesn't mean what you think it means.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Ped my teens see doesn't use the BMI index anymore. The doc uses a waist-to-height ratio because the BMI index doesn't take into account muscle.

Both of my teen boys who play multiple sports are considered overweight according to the BMI. One is 6'1" and around 190lbs. He plays travel soccer, HS soccer, and does triathlons as a hobby. The other is just under 6' and around 175 lbs. He plays travel soccer, HS baseball, and does martial arts.

Using the waist-to-height ratio, they are perfectly fine.

Waist-to-height ratio:
1-Divide your height in inches by 2.
2-Measure your waist at your belly button in inches.
3-Keep your waist size under measurement 1 to be considered healthy.

This is exactly what my pediatrician does for teens as well

OP - get a new pediatrician for sure!

If she is a size 6, her waist is under 28 inches. She is NOT overweight

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Ped my teens see doesn't use the BMI index anymore. The doc uses a waist-to-height ratio because the BMI index doesn't take into account muscle.

Both of my teen boys who play multiple sports are considered overweight according to the BMI. One is 6'1" and around 190lbs. He plays travel soccer, HS soccer, and does triathlons as a hobby. The other is just under 6' and around 175 lbs. He plays travel soccer, HS baseball, and does martial arts.

Using the waist-to-height ratio, they are perfectly fine.

Waist-to-height ratio:
1-Divide your height in inches by 2.
2-Measure your waist at your belly button in inches.
3-Keep your waist size under measurement 1 to be considered healthy.

This is exactly what my pediatrician does for teens as well

OP - get a new pediatrician for sure!

If she is a size 6, her waist is under 28 inches. She is NOT overweight

So, you've never been clothes shopping...

[Anonymous]

Doctor seems kind of stupid. I would switch because I would never trust judgment going forward.

[Anonymous]

5' 5.25" and 151 lbs at 13 does sound overweight to me. I can't opine on whether the ped should've said something but that's a bigger 13 year old and not sure if she's done growing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 14yr. old son is 5'.10", 135lbs.

I'm 5'4". 135 lbs.

He's fit and slim, I wear size 6 but could lose a few pounds to look my best. I cannot imagine being 150lbs and not worrying. I would listen to the doctors!

You can’t compare a teen boy body composition to a teen girl. And the girl at age 13 may still grow in height.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Doctor seems kind of stupid. I would switch because I would never trust judgment going forward.

A doctor caring for her patient isn't stupid. A mother denying what her eyes see, though?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Doctor seems kind of stupid. I would switch because I would never trust judgment going forward.

A doctor caring for her patient isn't stupid. A mother denying what her eyes see, though?

Her eyes see an athletic size 6, in a 13 year old girl who is still growing.

Some of you are absolutely monsters. Go eat a carb.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Overweight" is not a judgment on your child. It's a clearly defined medical diagnosis. That definition is based on BMI.

You can be "overweight" because you are a highly muscular athlete, or because you are carrying extra fat, or even for other reasons. But "overweight" does not necessarily mean unhealthy. If you treat it that way, you are part of the problem.

- American Academy of Pediatrics Issues Its First Comprehensive Guideline on Evaluating, Treating Children and Adolescents With Obesity
- https://www.aap.org/en/news-room/news-releases/aap/2022/american-academy-of-pediatrics-issues-its-first-comprehensive-guideline-on-evaluating-treating-children-and-adolescents-with-obesity

Well BMI is not for athletes or those with real amount of muscle and the judgement that comes from hearing overweight as a teenage girl are life-altering. So stop using flawed metrics and then making judgements and treatment. Refer for a DEXA if you are really that concerned.

BMI is for athletes. It just doesn't mean what you think it means.

Okay well when one person has a BMI of 25 and is 5'5 at 150 with 120 lbs of muscle (20% BF active, etc) bvs 90lbs of muscle (40% bf) there is a difference. And yet that number (BMI) is somehow used as reasoning for X,Y, Z.

[Anonymous]

Have her body fat % taken. Muscle mass is a better indicator of health

[Anonymous]

we can't really tell how muscular your DD is, OP and i know that really ripped individuals will weight more per volume. But for a 13 yo to be that muscular is probably unusual and for your doctor to say that she is overweight does mean something. The thing is that with the norm being the way it is in this country, overweight people look normal.

My really good friend told me she was annoyed that her doctor said her tween son was overweight. The doctor didn't even mention this to her son directly, just to her. The son is definitely not athletic and eats poorly. He does not look like he has a huge gut or and does not look out of the ordinary for the US, but he does look different from his brothers who are not overweight. Instead of taking it as a sign that the kid needs to improve what he eats, she is annoyed at the doctor. The defensive knee jerk denial instinct can be strong.

[Anonymous]

The doctor wouldn't be doing their job if she ignored that your child is over weight. Being 5.25 height and 151 lbs is significant for a 13 year old girl. Trying to find a doctor that spares YOUR feelings is not going to help your daughter.