Not sure if my 8 year old son is overweight or obese?
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
|
Is he active? Are you or your DH on the heavy side?
If he is not active, he needs to be. My kids eat a bit of junk food but mostly home cooked meals for dinner, not too fatty/unhealthy. I don't mind if they eat junk food a bit as long as they are also active. If either your or your DH has family history of obesity then this could also be genetic, and it is imperative that he watches what he eats and is active. Agree with PPs you should be taking your DS to annual checkups, and the pediatrician should let you know about his weight. |
Anonymous
| Can you possibly describe what makes you think he's obese? I'm just curious because most parents actually fail to see their child as being fat when actually they are in danger of serious health problems. Has there been any sudden changes in his size or attitude that has sparked your concern? |
Anonymous
|
If you're concerned, do not wait for his next official checkup, which could be months away.
Talk to his doctor yourself, first, without your son there. Explain your concerns and lay out what you are doing and what you observe, for instance, that he always wants seconds etc. The doctor may say (and this is right) that kids sometimes develop a belly just before shooting up in height, which then means their weight and height together are fine and the belly tends to go away then. But since you are worried, enlist the doctor to work with you; arrange to bring your son in for a "checkup" even if it's not time for the annual visit, and arrange in advance for the doctor to talk with him one on one -- without you there in the room -- about how many kids need a lot more exercise than they realize and about how it's good to learn to think about what he eats. Your son might hear all this much better from the doctor than from you, mom. Be sure the doctor measures your son's BMI, too. Also, someone mentioned getting him into a sport. Sports are fine, but not all kids like or need organized, team sports. And some team sports are no more than a few times a week, or involve a lot of time spent standing on the sidelines or waiting to play -- when daily exercise could end up providing much more muscle development and calorie burn. Exercise with him. Get the whole family involved. It's tough to do now in the wet, cold winter, but you could do a short bike ride each day (even 15 minutes is helpful if it's consistent!) in spring and summer, and if you really need to, get a stationary bike at home and require him to ride it during whatever TV he watches at weekends, too. Think outside the box for exercise but ensure that he does not see he's the only one doing it, and that he does not think it's just "because mom thinks I'm fat." See if he'd be interested in an individual pursuit. Fencing actually is very active and burns plenty of calories if kids do enough bouts in a class period, for instance. But he also needs to be active at home. |
Anonymous
| Well ok ermm - ever since he was about 6 and a half I've know he's been a but chunky, however you would never have known until he took his top off when we were on holiday or something. But over the last year it's as if he's just ballooned - I first noticed when we were having trouble finding a school shirt that could fit around his waist (his belly comes out probably about an inch maybe 2 inches?). And when he ticked his shirt in I could see that the shirt was having to support his belly fat, which is beginning to sort of hang over the slightest bit. It's now getting to the point where whatever he wears I can see his belly sticking out, particularly when he sits down (and ESPECIALLY when he sits down topless in his trunks when we go swimming and the belly overlaps his trunks). I'm not silly and I've had him on a strict diet of no fizzy drinks etc but nothing seems to be working and as I said he's always hungry and wants more food. As I said he goes swimming and gets excercise that way and walks to school as well. |
Anonymous
| No 8 year old child should have a belly hanging over his belt. If this were me and my child was already on a diet and exercising, I would take him to the doctor. You say no soft drinks etc.. but you don't mention more details about what specifically he is eating. Please be specific- his diet could be sabotaging his weight. Do you give him protein? If not- then yes he will be hungry a lot. A diet of mostly carbs is going to make him fat. Maybe he needs a nutritionist. |
Anonymous
| Sorry to hear about this is sounds like you're in a tricky situation. Yes the belly hanging over the belt is bad and needs sorting asap. He's 8, he should be easier to get him to do more sport and stuff. Sign him up to a few clubs run by school and get him out doing stuff. Can't have him embarassed about his chubby belly when he's swimming with his friends for example - not fair on him |
Anonymous
| I'm not sure it's as bad as I may have made out - which is why I was willing to share the photo as I anticipated this sort of reaction might happen. Yes his belly does hang over but it's not abnormally large - sort of similar as many of the other boys he goes swimming with actually. |
Anonymous
| If the photo is completely necessary then put it up but it's at your own risk so keep make sure the safety of your child is out first |
Anonymous
| I struggle to imagine how the photo will change much if he's exactly as you've described... and please ensure you are careful with doing things like this - only if it's COMPLETELY necessary |
Anonymous
+1 this is absolutely a health concern that can have significant long term issues. Make the appointment. |
Anonymous
|
OP, whether or not he is clinically obese or just overweight the most important thing you have mentioned is that he is self conscience about his weight. You need to address this.
He needs to not only get healthy but to feel more comfortable in his own skin. For all you know he may be headed for a growth spurt. My 8 year old goes through his annual growth spurts between Jan and June. He is constantly growing but this is when we see the biggest jump. He is on the thin side so he doesn't bulk up first but I understand that many kids do. I have noticed that starting in Jan he is typically hungrier than normal. So when he is hungry for seconds give him fruit or veggies instead. When DS is hungry and refuses and apple, well then I know he wasn't really hungry. Your son needs to understand his body is a machine and it is the only one he has so he needs to treat it right and love it no matter what size it is. Less treats, (especially treats as a reward for good behavior) and more movement. Keep and eye on him for the next few months and see how it goes. If you don't want to see the doctor now I am sure he will tell you when DS has his next check up Good luck |
Anonymous
|
I think it is more concerning that he won't let you weight him. That shows that somehow he has already been fat shamed. At this age, getting back to healthy weight is very easy since they grow so much, but already having body image problem at 8 seems really awful to me.
|
Anonymous
who are you, God? |
Anonymous
| I have a similar problem with my 9 year old son - except he doesn't seem as bothered by his weight as your one - always allowed us to weigh him, although we started monitoring it from a young age, checking his weight, waistline, and hip line (measuring around where the belt is) almost monthly. And I'm glad we did so as we were able to spot problems pretty quickly. Like yours mine also has a sticky out belly - I actually measures from underneath the belly outwards from the belt and his tummy fat came out by 2 inches easily, not only that but to measure the hip line you had to move his belly fat out of the way! He was wearing age 13-14 trousers and age 14 blazer to get round the waist. We took him to a specialist who told me he was clinically obese and gave me strict dietary suggestions. It was quite the shock to have it diagnosed as we monitored him so carefully, but well worth it. He is slimming down very slowly but the belly is still very much there. However a couple more months of hard excercise will sort him out. You could maybe consider something similar? |
Anonymous
| If this cheers you up my chubby 10 year old son got stuck in one of the rubber dingys whilst messing around in the baby pool! He somehow managed to get in by putting his head through it however when it slipped under his belly line there was no way it was coming back up or down over his buttocks! We had to rip him out it was quite embarrassing actually but a funny story to look back on - luckily he had a growth spurt and most of the Chubb went however his older brother has never let him forget it!! |