What does this mean?

amother

Cyan

Sun, Jul 17 2016, 7:47 am

Took my 13-year-old daughter to the pediatrician for a well check. She was found to be in the 25th percentile for height and the 75th percentile for weight. I didn't want to nail the doctor in front of my daughter, so as not to embarrass my daughter, but is that significantly overweight? My daughter does seem to eat a lot and she is very sedentary, and I don't say a word because I know it will be counterproductive, but if she is overweight, how do I help her help herself?

PAMOM

Sun, Jul 17 2016, 9:51 am

Call the pediatrician and ask. Most pediatricians will discuss issues at the time of the visit, so my guess is that the weight (whatever it is) doesn't pose a health risk. Kids this age also are often at "unbalanced" percentages due to rapid-onset adolescent body changes. My short answer: make sure you serve healthy food, encourage and participate in physical activity with all of your children, and don't raise the subject with dd as long as the pediatrician doesn't identify a problem.

momX4

Sun, Jul 17 2016, 10:08 am

Find another dr asap.

I cant believe your dr didnt have a discussion about eating habits and exercise. Obesity is a major healrh issue.

My ds has been in the 90's percentile for weight since birth. His height is in the 70's, sometimes 80's. According to his BMI my ds is obese. We have an appointment every 6 months with his pediatrician to monitor his BMI and to encourage ds. Our goal is for him to not gain more weight while he grows.

amother

Cyan

Sun, Jul 17 2016, 10:51 am

momX4 wrote:

The doctor DID speak to her about healthy eating habits, but I think she kind of gives that speech to all kids. My daughter is definitely not obese, but for years she was underweight, and in the last year she gained 20 pounds and grew two inches, so I don't know what to make of it.
When you say "find another doctor ASAP", is that because based on what I posted she sounds obese to you? I never quite understood how to interpret these "percentiles".

Jeanette

Sun, Jul 17 2016, 11:05 am

What's important is the BMI, because that will give you more of a sense of how her weight relates to her height and whether that's normal for her age. There are BMI calculators online, plug your daughter's measurements in there and it will tell you where she fits into the curve. If she's above 85% in BMI that's considered overweight, and above 95% is considered obese.

As to whether you need to run and find a new doctor or not... well obesity is a very common problem in this country, and doctors can give you some advice on healthy eating but most likely nothing that you don't already know (more fruits and veggies, less screen time, more physical activity, better sleep habits). Doctors may run some blood tests to rule out other conditions that may be causing high weight gain and to make sure her sugars and triglycerides are normal. They may refer you for nutritional counseling. But really there isn't much more that a doctor can do for you. You and your daughter will have to work out diet and lifestyle changes that will help her keep to a healthier weight.

momX4

Sun, Jul 17 2016, 11:09 am

amother wrote:

Based on your post I assumed that she has a high BMI and may be obese. A gain of 20 pounds in one year should be a concern, unless she was underweight before. For every inch she grows there is a normal weight gain.

The percentile isnt as important as the BMI, which is based on her hight and weight.

If you are not concerned about her weight, but actually about her height, talk to your dr about referring you to an endocrinologist.

amother

Red

Sun, Jul 17 2016, 12:56 pm

The percentages do NOT mean she is obese. All my boys are thin as a rail and that percentage. They are made of muscle, which weighs more than fat. If my family were to weight what the BMI says we should, we would look like we should be hospitalized. I better gauge is: compared to her class, is she skinny, average, or the biggest one? Is she the biggest by far, or by little. (there is a wide range of normal in terms of health) Also, does she have some fat on her body, or does she seem covered in rolls of fat and find it hard to find clothing/move around well? Those are the questions that are important, NOT numbers on a scale, percentiles, or BMIs.

amother

Sapphire

Sun, Jul 17 2016, 2:05 pm

amother wrote:

Agreed. BMI can be a load of garbage if you are particularly tall or muscular.

Jeanette

Sun, Jul 17 2016, 2:14 pm

It's true that BMI is not the best measure for people who are very athletic and muscular. But how many teenage girls do you know who fit into that category? While BMI does not tell the whole story it is at least a starting point, and if your BMI is high you most likely have work to do.

How she compares to her classmates is also irrelevant. You do not have to be rolling in fat or having trouble walking to be at an unhealthy weight. Do you really want to wait until it gets to that point to take action? Does your weight need to be dangerously high before you will acknowledge that there might be a problem?

I'm not at all into fat shaming, and in fact it is possible to be healthy despite being in the overweight category according to BMI. I'm all for people having good body image and being happy with who they are rather than obsessing with thinness all the time. But there is also a time to call a spade a spade and acknowledge when your weight is above the healthy parameters.

amother

Floralwhite

Sun, Jul 17 2016, 2:39 pm

Talk to all of us who suffer from obesity/diet-binge disorder/emotional eating...whatever you want to call it....go look at all those threads....
When I was 13 I was FAT. I knew it. The DR knew it. My Mom knew it. So off I went to weight watchers and when that didn't work to top nutritionists etc. But it make me feel worse and worse and sneak more and more food....
Don't say a word and chances are she'll do ok. I have a daughter who is not fat and likes nosh. She is not a healthy eater but doesn't eat a lot. She will have cake and then not eat supper. If you read these intuitive eating books it's best not to say anything and let people eat naturally-when they are physically hungry.
I'm still trying to figure it all out for myself at age 34 and according to BMI I get this:
You are obese.
To obtain a normal body weight, you must lose between 59.68 and 102.71 pounds.
The skinniest I ever was - was 60 lbs less and frieds were worried I was anorexic! Meaning I looked too skinny...and when I'm 50 less I look healthy. Now BMI would still call that overweight!
Either way my point is....you bugging her will only add to her emotional eating.
If you feel she just has no clue so just suggest to everyone in your household to go to water instead of juices and lite popcorn/fruits as snacks...and will probably be fine.
GOOD LUCK!

amother

Babyblue

Sun, Jul 17 2016, 10:51 pm

The more your gonna mention the issue, the more your gonna strenghthen the issue. Dont say anything about being fat to your child. Be more healthy as a family with out singling your child out. If you do you will be setting child up for a lifetime of struggles..been there done that. When I was very thin as a child it was no good for my mother, when I started gaining and was more on the heavy side it was no good for my mother... what ever it was was no good. And now years later she has passed on and im still struggling
As long as shes healthy shes fine. A oerson can be thin and still be unhealthy