Poor Nutritional Habits, High BMI...What the Heck???!!

I'm not a parent so I can't offer anything. I am curious why these people are measuring kid's BMIs. Is this a new thing? Is the person who discussed this with you even a registered dietitian?

Because of how many kids are obese now, this has become standard. Sort of a, "Catch it before it gets too bad" kind of deal.

It is fairly new.  The first time my 7 year old was measured was when he was in Kindergarten.  His teacher had to give the news that his BMI was VERY high.  She went on to add that SHE knew that his ribs were very visible and that she thought he wasn't overweight at all.  And she is right.  He is the skinniest kid.  But he is so solid- he sinks in water because he is so dense.  They really need to take more into account than how much they weigh compared to how tall they are.  Bone structure and other things should also be considered.  Especially when they are so young.  I'm not really alright with being told that I am feeding my kids wrong when I give them so much healthy food and disallow so much junk.  There is such a thing as large healthy people and such a thing as an obese skinny person. 

I think that is what the WIC people are- dieticians or nutrionists or something. 

Freakin-A.  NUTRITIONISTS.  I swear I usually know how to spell. 

"They really need to take more into account than how much they weigh compared to how tall they are.  Bone structure and other things should also be considered. "

Agreed.  I'm very grateful my kids' doc pays attention to genetics, as well.  Otherwise I'd be constantly getting chewed for feeding the youngest too much and the older two too little.

Apparently WIC's charts are very narrow-minded. 

I have skinny kids, and always have, so I've never had a doctor or anyone tell me that I need to change any habits. I have a niece who was always just a bit chunky when she was little. She'll be 8 soon, and is a little tall for her age (she's as tall as Chris, who is 10, but he's a bit short for his age). However, she's gotten way past being a bit chunky, and has to wear adult sized clothing.

Her mother decided when a doctor told her she might need some different habits, and to start watching what she eats, that he was calling her fat, and that she wasn't. Instead of addressing the issue, she switched doctors, and has done so another time because of the same thing.

I am in no way suggesting that Amara is over weight. I would suggest maybe recording how much she eats when she eats- does she finish her meal? Ask for seconds? How many snacks? How many drinks? Once you do that, you can see if maybe she is eating more than she should be, or not enough of something, etc.

Eating healthy foods is great, but adults tend to think a child sized serving is larger than it should be. When considering the actual sized portions, kids should be eating very little for meals. While adults use big dinner plates, an average child sized meal should fit on a small dessert sized plate, as opposed to a larger plate.

You could also ask her ped if s/he thinks Amara is at risk. Your PED will know a LOT better than the WIC nurse, because they see her more often. It might not be a bad idea just to make an appointment and ask their opinion.

"Her mother decided when a doctor told her she might need some different habits, and to start watching what she eats, that he was calling her fat, and that she wasn't. Instead of addressing the issue, she switched doctors, and has done so another time because of the same thing."

I know I'm overreacting a little bit right now.  Just the combination of the mention of a high BMI and asking about what she does to keep active and suggestions of what she should be eating and/or drinking really got to me. 

I I compare what she eats to others but don't really record or keep track of exactly how much she eats.  I babysit a little girl who is the same age as Amara but eats twice as much.  And I know that she eats a little more than her little brother and about the same as her big brother (who eats like a bird).  She is a really good eater.  I will give her veggies and she happily eats all of them.  She will choose blueberries over chips.  Her activity levels are more than adequate (that girl blows me away sometimes!).  I know I could improve but I also know that I do a really good job with what I feed my kids.  She doesn't even know what a poptart is and enjoys eating waffles without syrup, as long as they have blueberries in them. 

Recently I bought plates for the kids that divide the portions, both to help with picky eaters and to make sure they are getting appropriate sizes of food.  When it comes to eating I couldn't ask for a better child than her. 

One thing that is positive is that she has always been like this.  She was born looking like a cabbage patch doll- tiny and chubby, the perfect cuddly baby.  Another thing is that she fits into most 4 year old clothing perfectly (she turned 4 in April).   

The Ped idea is good.  I have also noticed that WIC's child comparison charts are higher than the ones in the doctor's office.  They always look worse when they go to WIC.  I should just go with my gut, which says that she is a perfectly healthy, beautiful little girl. 

from what i can tell your gut is 100% right, she is beautiful, and looks fine to me..

I have had the same issue with wic.  My daughter who is 3, she is on the chunky side, but at 3 she is over 40 inches tall and weights right around 41 pounds.  My son who is 4 is at 43 inches tall and weights 38 pounds.  Wic has told me my daughter is overweight and my son is underweight.  I look at them and ask them do you want me to put her on slim fast or something??? I finallly got sick of them doing that to me so I talk to her ped.  The showed me the curve that she is following and yes she might weight more, but she is also a lot taller then most kids her age.   Well the ped said she is fine so when they start on me at wic, i say i have already talked to our ped and they have no problems. 

ps my daughter has had a 29 degree curve in her spine, and since they have gotten it down to 17 she has already spourted another inch. 

Wow- she's taller than Amara!  Mara measured at 39.5 inches tall.  I already forget the weight but it was around 41-44lbs. 

It's good that you have the Ped's support so you can let them know that they are confident in your childrens' weight. 

I know my daughter is a little chunky, and I know some would call her over weight, but to me she has slimmed down quite a bit.  I love my daughter and have learn to blow off wic people cause 9 out 10 times they have no clue what they are talking about... I just act like i listen and sometimes use some of what they other times I just say okay i will check with her ped

Anne, she is perfectly adorable.  I don't think she is overweight at all! 

thank you and i did look at a pic of your daughter and she looks to have the same similar body that my daughter does... I think your daughter is very cute and i think wic cause shove it where the sun don't shine, i did not want to swear and get  you flagged :-D

I'm good at doing that to myself a lot Anne.  I swear just a little too much and sometimes I forget what I'm saying!

They do have a similar build.  And they are both darling! 

My WIC nutritionist sometimes has helpful suggestions but often her data conflicts with what my pediatrician tells me -- weight is fine w/ doc, not fine w/ WIC, etc.  Doc diagnosed eczema (family history on both sides), WIC thought it might be rash reaction to eggs.  It wasn't a rash at all!  I smile and nod at WIC so I can feed the baby and go on about my day and don't fuss over what they say to me.

Mary, that is what I should do too.  It's good to have input from multiple sources but I should trust my instincts and the people who spend the most time with her.  Her Nana (Jason's mom) said that she looked exactly the same when she was that age.  She is in her 50's and I think she looks good for her age- she isn't skinny but she is really short and curvy and I think it looks good on her. 

i think you just need a hug!!!!!!  :)

i truely believe wic is just trying to make everyone "pay" for their assistance.  if your children are happy & healthy; your pediatrician is ok with weight & height, i wouldn't worry about it.  if the case workers are licensed dietitians; they should have their license posted by their desk.  if it isn't there; ask to see it.  if they can't produce it; tell them you'll consult a dietician that your pediatrician recommends.  good luck & stay happy!!!  :)

Thank you Michelle! 

That is good advice.  Not even professionals get it all right and I'm not 100% sure that all (or any) of WIC's staff are nutritionists or dieticians or any other relevant profession and even if they are they won't always be perfect.  They are human.

sad to say most working at wic are not registered dieticians or nutritionists.  also, if you look at wids guidelines; i'm sure you would find they are from several years ago.  things in the medical field change minute by minute.  the rules for bmi measurement from 5 years ago are different than the rules for today.

medicine & it's related fields are not an exact science.  the first thing they taught us in nursing school was:  never say never, never say always.  cuz they don't always know the answers.

more hugs  :)

oooops..."wics guidelines" not "wids guidelines".  lol  i can't let my fingers do the walking anymore  (old joke!!).  :)

I didn't even notice until you pointed it out :) 

That wouldn't surprise me if they had outdated material because it isn't like they get all the money they want to fund the program.  I just wish they wouldn't be so good at making me feel so bad. 

hugs and I would find another docotr this sounds a little crazy

Thank you Golds.  I won't get myself too upset unless her pediatrician consistently tells me at every appointment that there is something to worry about.  He has never said anything before. 

Ugh.  I've heard similar stories from others on WIC, too.  We have just the opposite problem at our house, and it's just as frustrating.  One of the nurses acts like I must be starving my son or something.  He turned 3 in February, and is right at 42 inches tall (practically off the charts).  He only weighs about 36 lbs.  That puts him around the 6th or 7th percentile for BMI.  His doctor likes to keep an eye on children under the 10th, and over the 80th.

Elliott eats more than I do on almost any given day.  He eats 5-6 times a day.  Most of his meals are pretty healthy.  He eats fresh fruits and veggies every day.  He loves whole grain stuff.  He's just a tall, skinny kid.  My husband and his sister were both tall and thin (although not quite as tall or thin as him) when they were little.  Most of my family is really tall, too.  My dad has 6 brothers, and only one of them was under 6' tall at his tallest height (they are all in their 50's and 60's now so some have lost some height).  My mom's brothers are all three 6'3 and taller (her baby brother is 6'8).  Of course chances are good that any child of mine will be tall!  I don't get why that is so hard to understand.  I do get that my child has borderline underweight, but otherwise he's healthy, so I have a hard time understanding why the nurse at his pediatrician's office seems so sure that he's not eating properly.

I don't think your daughter looks overweight at all either.  She doesn't really look like she's very much heavier than my son, and he's underweight!

Carla, my friend had to get a doctor's note when she went to WIC because they were going to call CPS on her!  Her daughter (and now her son) are really, really tiny.  Her almost 4 year old daughter is barely 36 inches tall.  They are also really skinny.  But WIC kept thinking she was starving them or not feeding them right because their stats fell into the lowest percentiles.  She had to ask the doctor to write a note saying that her daughter had a metabolism problem that was currently being taken care of with medication and proper diet, and that she was NOT killing her kids.  She is one of the best moms I know and I couldn't imagine someone threatening her with CPS!!! 

Whole grains are popular in my family too.  My oldest son is the pickiest, but not a single one eats white bread unless it's their only option. 

You have to wonder why they don't ask (or listen completely) when you tell them that practically everyone in your family is tall and skinny.  I know they have to deal with a lot of people who are hurting their children, either intentionally or by lack of knowledge but it just seems to me that you can see a difference between a healthy, happy child and one that isn't so healthy.  And I know they are just warning me of potential dangers.  But I knew that already, because I know my history. 

42 inches and 36 pounds sounds almost like Amara's friend who looks much taller than Amara but their size around doesn't look much different. 

I refuse to go to WIC. I refuse to let them subject my children to their stupid generic scales.

When my two youngest were little I tried WIC. They claimed my daughter was very underweight and even accused me of not feeding her!!! She ate like a HORSE! Her own Dr said that yes she was petite but he wasn't concerned because she was gaining weight and appeared completely healthy and happy.

Don't listen to those idiots. If you're terribly concerned about your children's nutrition take it up with your Ped Dr. and then if you're still terribly concerned ask to see a Pediactric Nutritionalist NOT associated with WIC.

But pretty much, I'd say don't worry about it. According to them kids shouldn't have more than 3 to 4 ounces of juice a DAY so that might be part of where they rated you negative.

I'm sure that was part of the negative.  I water all of their juice down, sometimes to the point that it is just flavored water.  And if flavoring the water a little helps them get more into their tiny, dehydratable bodies then I will do it. 

One thing that kind of bothered me was that I am not supposed to give more than a certain amount of milk, no more than a certain amout of juice, and to watch how much water I give too, because of the danger in too much water.  But in the summer kids NEED lots of liquid, and I'm never going to give them so much that it will kill them. 

Thanks for the good advice :) 

I'd be mad, too. :\  I took what they gave me for free and fed my children how I thought they should be fed. They never had an issue with weight until they left home!

That sounds good to me! 

I think they are just asking you and ask all parents because they want all children to be healthy, they don't know any parents habits if they don't ask, and if some parent is not feeding the chldren right and I don't mean neglecting them but not giving them the right foods the can then explain to them the right foods the kids should eat,

this is not about you, it is about children's health and it is a good thing because we want all children healthy don't we?

Carol, they ask that a paper be filled out asking the same questions she asked me after she got Amara's BMI (what does she eat, how much and what are her activities).  I didn't understand why she asked me what she could see it on paper.  But I didn't mind telling her again because I answered the questions honestly.  Of course I want her to be as healthy as possible, and it can't hurt to be remind me of how much of something is too much but she didn't offer any alternatives to anything she said I was doing wrong.  And at the time I wasn't thinking to ask her what I should be giving her instead of 100% fruit juice, especially since she also said I was giving her too much water and milk.  What else is there?  If she is thirsty I can't say, "sorry honey, you had too much water already."  She didn't need to offer alternatives for food because she saw that I was feeding her just right. 

I know they are just trying to help and are concerned about everyone coming in.  They want healthy children, I want healthy children.  They are doing what they can to help.  But I hope that everyone makes sure that the info WIC is giving them doesn't come before the advice and concerns of their regular doctors. 

I would ask her then if you are giving her too much fruit juice and water, why is that, after all you are not a professional nutrionist just a concerned mom, and then I would ask her what should I be given her to replace it. I don't understand how she could be getting too much water, that would be interesting to know.

WIC is supposed to educate parents not judge them. There is something about government that makes their employees feel like they are the hand of God.

There seems to be much more judging than educating.  Some of the staff is really good about helping.  I want to believe that the woman I was with yesterday had a really bad day (or week) and dealt with a lot of bad parents before me.  It's probably true. 

People, Doctors, Teachers... always seem to look for things that are "wrong" instead of focusing on the things that are right!

I have never understood how they can put every single person on the same "scale" and terms!  All of our bodies are different!  I don't have any WIC experience but our Pediatrician uses a scale with their height/weight/age as well.  My kids have always been on the SKINNY side. 

I know that my kids eat healthy and are active - that's what matters!

That is so true Bridget.  Too many people are looking at what's bad and wrong. 

It is hard to understand.  Sometimes people do things that sound right, and seem right but they end up making some things worse.  Like my 7 year old "overweight" son who wears size 8 pants (he can wear nines and tens for height too, but no belt can be tightened enough to hold them up) but has to wear a small belt at the tightest notch to hold them up.  Who has ribs that stick out and sticks for legs.  But he has a high BMI and they are concerned that he is overweight! 

Alex the only opinion that matters is that of your pediatrician. WIC employees are not doctors who specialize in children. They are paid workers that is it. If your pediatrician says they are growing well and has no concerns then I would not worry about what WIC says.

Thank you Chris!  You are right.  No matter how much they are trying to help, I need to only listen to their doc. 

Wow, Alex I am not sure what to say.  Don't they think that your daughter has baby fat still?  I would think that would be her BMI issue, as she's still so young.  I am so sorry this happened to you, but I KNOW that you do not provide poor nutrition!  How crazy of them.  {{HUGS}} I wish I could give you one in person, because it sounds like you need it sweetie!

Thank you Pamela.  I appreciate it :) 

I guess there is no such thing as baby fat anymore.  Now it's just statistical numbers and hers say she is overweight.  I never knew a toddler could be overweight, with the exception of those on Maury and other drama talk shows.