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 ft 5.25 inches 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.

Omg I am the OP. Sorry, she is 5 ft and 5.25 inches. I changed it

You mean 5'5"? That's very different from 5.25

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She IS overweight for her height. It is her doctor's job to talk to her about that. It is NOT about her looks but about her health. Nothing to get your feelings hurt about.

+1 This is about her health. We don't need a generation of people reliant on Ozempic. Start addressing the real issues early.

Oh brother! I am the one you're responding to and on Ozempic. Just stop.

You don't wish your parents helped you earlier?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your kid is overweight. Instead of getting upset, try to work on her losing weight.

A size 6 waist is not overweight

[Anonymous]

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.

BMI charts are inaccurate for weightlifters & for those with lots of muscles. But, it seem unusual to me that a 13 year old would have developed sufficient muscle mass to be her height & weight. Without a photo, it is difficult to offer a reasonable opinion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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 ft 5.25 inches 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.

Omg I am the OP. Sorry, she is 5 ft and 5.25 inches. I changed it

You mean 5'5"? That's very different from 5.25

At 5'5 and 151, it still puts her in the overweight BMI.

[Anonymous]

This is why medical students don’t want to become pediatricians. Can’t deal with some moms.

[Anonymous]

You should have pushed back in the room. Dr's are just as susceptible to prejudices as anyone. That could have been handled better. Focus on activity (asking so she can talk about how active she is). Lots of sporty/athletic people don't align with standard BMI guidelines. It's ok to challenge authority in front of your child to drive home the notion that there's no absolute authority by which we are judged.

[Anonymous]

The doctor should have talked about this with you and not her. The dr should have discussed activity, good food options, etc with her with out using the word obese or overweight with her.

[Anonymous]

Does anyone know the history of BMI? The fact that this is used at all as a measurement is crazy.

I would take this as an opportunity to talk to your daughter that not all adults have all the most current information and sometimes you need to educate them.
https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106268439

Key point - The person who dreamed up the BMI said explicitly that it could not and should not be used to indicate the level of fatness in an individual.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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 ft 5.25 inches 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.

Omg I am the OP. Sorry, she is 5 ft and 5.25 inches. I changed it

You mean 5'5"? That's very different from 5.25

At 5'5 and 151, it still puts her in the overweight BMI.

I agree. Plus, a 13 year old's body and a 25 year old's body. As a 13 year old, it's the easiest time in your life to maintain your fitness and develop life long habits.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know the history of BMI? The fact that this is used at all as a measurement is crazy.

I would take this as an opportunity to talk to your daughter that not all adults have all the most current information and sometimes you need to educate them.
https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106268439

Key point - The person who dreamed up the BMI said explicitly that it could not and should not be used to indicate the level of fatness in an individual.

OP said BMI, but the doctor is most likely looking at growth curves and percentages in comparison to other 13 year old girls of her height.

[Anonymous]

OP when I need more information or expertise than a primary care provider can provide, I go to a specialist. Once when our kid was young, our pediatrician was concerned they were underweight. The pediatrician referred us to a gastroenterologist, who checked them out and ruled out all the pediatrician's concerns. We got to ask all our questions, and to know the answers were coming from an expert. Everyone got closure.

Call your pediatrician and ask for a referral.

[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 ft 5.25 inches 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.

Omg I am the OP. Sorry, she is 5 ft and 5.25 inches. I changed it

OP if she is still growing which I am assuming she is and is this athletic and has a size 6 waist, I am shocked your ped said something to you. As a former softball pitcher myself, I know how muscular your legs get and is she is strong enough to do cross fit, she should be plenty fine. Once I was done playing college softball, I immediately lost weight and it was muscle mass. My waist size didn't change. And if your ped asked about all that exercise and sports and still felt it prudent to call a 13yr old overweight, I would switch to a family doctor that specializes in sports medicine. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m surprised and sorry for you all but honestly, I think most peds would have said the same with those stats based on charts. Is it accurate or correct? Not really. But 150 at 5’2” is going to invite that. If you can get a trusted recommendation for a doctor who is particularly astute with girls going through puberty definitely switch.

Yes, it is. The DD is overweight, not big-boned or muscular.

Big-boned is such a farce! Open your eyes people! Stop saying your kid has baby fat until they're in puberty and then using the big boned excuse.

Muscular is a thing. If OP's daughter really does cross fit, it may apply to her. If you really want to know, get a dexa scan

[Anonymous]

Op I can't believe the responses here. You are right, in my opinion. This is awful. I would make sure to talk to any future drs prior to appointments and be very clear you don't want weight discussed in that way. The first step in my disordered eating was a conversation with a dr like this. Take it seriously.