When is baby considered overweight?

[newmommy]

Hi there,

Reading through the threads and seeing topic : OVERWEIGHT, seems like an early warning device for me.

I was thinking, when can a baby be considered overweight? Do I have to constantly compute her desirable body weight and keep track of it? As a mom, I am wary about the health complications brought about by being overweight and I must be sure I know the signs now.

Replies will be greatly appreciated!

[babymomma]

There is no set answer for knowing when a baby is overweight. It all depends on whether their growth rate is consistent and steady. The best advice that I can give you is to speak to a pediatrician.

[newmommy]

Thanks, I am actually going to one for my baby Dana. I just wanted to gather for more information in case some of the moms know any signs that can possibly point to being overweight. I might as well go to a an expert later.

[babyboomer]

You can assess if a kid is overweight by checking with a dietician. They have this way of finding via a computation the desirable body weight for a particular age and height. If you'd wanna double check to be sure you can do this and consult a pediatrician or a dietician for that matter. Hope that helps.

[Urbanmom]

Hi there. How old is your baby? My pediatrician's office has started using a BMI chart (body mass index) for my children, but they don't start that until they are 2 years old. It's not a foolproof metric, but it's a bit more sophisticated than just weight.

If your child is under 2, I wouldn't even think about him or her being overweight. If over 2, you can check for a children's BMI index and plug in weight and height and see where it falls.

The best thing to do is to help your child grow accustomed to healthy food options; fruits, vegetables, whole grain breads, that kind of thing. Limit easy-to-grab bags of snacks, like chips or fruit-like snacks. Have snacks be healthier options like cheese, fruit, whole grain crackers, that kind of thing.

[BakingBigBabies]

There is no such thing as an overweight baby. I hate hearing people talk about that. Don't get me wrong, I am not ga ga over the chunkers like some people seem to be, but a 12 month old who is already 28lb is just fine. They will reach a point when their activity is enough that they stop gaining weight and just grow longer.

My second daughter was 28lb at 12 months. She is now slim, and tall, and I have no fears at all.

As Urbanmom said, start looking at it more about two years old. Never, ever, put a child on a diet-it is counter productive. Instead, give them healthy things to it and things will work themselves out.

[MommyDearest]

Isn't it funny how fashions change? In the 50s a baby was only considered healthy if they were 'bouncing' with huge, chubby pink cheeks and a pot belly!

All children are different, even gender plays a part. The amount of body fat in children varies by age. I saw somewhere that if your child is heavier than 85-95% of children the same age, gender and height, then that child is considered to be overweight.

If a child has a good appetite but doesn't get the chance to burn off calories then, of course, obesity will inevitably result.

[babybump]

I agree, a baby needs to be a baby. You don't see baby animals doing anything but eating, sleeping and some occasional playing while they grow. I don't put much stock in the BMI charts as they don't account for very athletic children or adults.

[Mommy2Five]

I worry about the effect of "worrying" about a young child's weight. Isn't this type of thinking what can encourage anorexia later in childhood? Now we have boys developing anorexia. When I was a teen it was unheard of for boys to have that. I know my older boys go to school and the school weighs them and then tells them, in front of everyone, that they are overweight or just fine. Those who are underweight are not told they are underweight. Its just the "overweight." And none of my children are overweight according to our doctor!

[LilSisShelly]

Children slim down as they get older. There is no such thing as an overweight infant. Wait till they get a little older then start to think about exercise.