Daughters weight ??

[jonah hart]

My daughter got weighed at school by an health visitor ... All the kids did .. My daughters 10 an 5 ft 1 .. The health visitor told her she was a little obese because she's 8 stone 9 ... Im absoultly fuming I feel I'm going to explode... How dare this women tell my 10 year old this .. My daughters devastated an thinks she should lose weight immediatly I've spent all night calming her down... She does every sport going an eats so healthy... Can anyone tell me wat the average weight is for her height please ? No wounder there's so many girls with eating disorders I'm wild ...

[jno]

this seems to be American but probably applies in the UK

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhanes/growthchar ts/set1clinical/cj41l022.pdf

It suggests she's heavier than average. But if she plays sport and eats healthily, that ought to be enough.

[jonah hart]

Thanks jno.. Her bmi is 23 which shows she's normal ... Because of all the sports she plays she's solid not a wobbly bit in sight.. I no she's perfect I'm just so mad that a health visitor would tell a young girl this .. I'm in that school first thing Monday grrrr ..

[honkytonkman]

Weight alone is a very poor indicator of health, as muscle weighs more than fat. If she's fit, sporty and eats healthy food, then it's most likely that she has acquired good muscle tone.
The current obsession with having a tiny dress size as opposed to overall fitness is madness. For one example, look at the tennis champions, Venus and Serena Williams. They are both supremely fit but neither are stick-insects, and nor could they be to compete at such a high-level. Tell your daughter to relax and enjoy her sports!! Best wishes

[jonah hart]

Thanks honky :) she's cried all nite ive really had me work cut out putting all right stuff in her head all because of that stupid women so not right ..

[DEN53]

I would also complain to the school (perhaps not Monday - its bank holiday) - I've never met a health visitor yet who talks sense - she was most probably reading some book quoting statistics (as they do) not treating each child as individuals.

Your daughter sounds fine to me.

[jonah hart]

Oops forgot it was bank holiday .. Well at least it gives me extra time to calm down ..

[Velvetee]

If your daughter is very sporty, then she probably carries more muscle than the average child, so would, therefore be heavier, than specified for her age. She is also quite tall for her age.

Unfortunately height to weight ratios are still stuck in the 1950's so do not allow for people being heavier, because of denser muscles. People are much more active, sportier and use the gym more than they would ever have done 40-50 years ago. Many healthcare professionals, don't seem to be aware of this though.

[crazycathy2]

How stupid is that? Surely if she thought that she should have asked you to go and see her or make an appointment at the doctors.

As a health visitor I would have thought you would have had more sense as you said no wonder there are so many girls and boys with eating disorders.

Grrrrh to the health visitor

[cazzz1975]

my friends son is a semi-pro footballer and when he went for a check up the nurse told him he was overweight and he is as skinny as anything, he laughed at her and asked her has she ever heard of muscle mass

[bednobs]

according to the site i looked at, she is at risk of becoming overweight, bordering overweight. Although a bmi is in the healthy range for an adult it is not within the healthy range for a 10 year old. She is on the 94th percentile (whatever that means!)

[bednobs]

the same site also recomends a 10 year olds weight fr her height should be 7 stone 7

[honkytonkman]

These BMI calculators are basically generalities based on averages and don't allow for individual variants in the parameters. All manner of things need to be considered such as bone-density, etc. Perhaps we should check Jonah's daughter's horoscope too in case Pluto in her 3rd house is affecting the readings.... ;)

[annie0000]

i only have the boys centile charts, but at that age, I am sure that they are broadly similar - on my charts, she is in the 99th centile for both her height and her weight - which means that she is perfectly in proportion.

[jonah hart]

I no she's not over weight an that's not just me being ignorant because she's mine .. If she's not doing sport at school she's straight to park playing footie .. She doesant like sweets she, ll grab a apple first .. There is a girl in her class who at 5ft 3 is 14 stone no one said anything to her probably sows not to cause offence .. Again I'm just so mad that this women would say this... To a TEN year old ... Can't get it out if my head ..

[pastafreak]

Regarding velvetees comment that people 'use the gym more, than people would have 40-50 years ago'....well people then also walked much more and did more physical work than we could ever do.

[Panic Button]

If you have a Wii game console, you could get the Wii Fit game and balance board.

Aswell as entertaining and helping to exercise it has a good system of displaying your weight, your BMI and a graph showing where you are compared to your ideal weight range.

[chattykathy]

I am amazed that the health visitor was allowed to say anything to your daughter. Firstly, the national measurement survey is usually done by School Nurses and is for statistical purposes only - they are not supposed to even inform the school of personal data but just tell them how they compare to other schools.
I, too, would be very angry if anyone said something to my children about their weight even if they were obese - the conversation should be with the parents!! Definitely have your say with the school and reassure your daughter that she's doing just fine and lots of sportsmen and women have high BMIs. Hope she's OK x

[Aprilis]

Regardless of what her height, weight or physical fitness is, it is absolutely unacceptable to say such a thing to a 10yr old child. A child's mental health should be every bit as important to a Health Visitor as their physical health and to flippantly inflict that kind of psychological damage on a young and impressionable girl is unforgiveable in my opinion. Your daughter's self esteem has obviously taken a hammering and I don't blame you for being so angry, so would I be!

[gossipgirl]

i personally think the word obese is used to flippantly. Ive always been a size 12, im 5ft 8, excersice regular, and eat well, im weighing in at 12 st 4lb. I am also labelled at obeses! how can a size 12 person be obese????? What i will never understand is that the media and press go on about weight issues and saying how much eating disorders are on the up, and then some numptys go and tell you your overweight (when its clearly evident that your not) just because a chart on a wall tells you so! I can really see why your livid x

[MWB]

You've almost got to be Biafran to be inside your "correct" BMI.

It's crazy.