5 signs your child may be overweight
Do you know if your child is overweight? Parents sometimes find it difficult to spot the signs. But don’t panic: if you’re not sure, read on for five signs your child be carrying some extra weight.
Is your child overweight?
1. BMI
Finding out your child’s BMI is the best way of understanding their weight.
Children’s BMI (Body Mass Index) is worked out slightly differently to adults’. Children’s BMI scores are presented as a “centile”, and if your child is over the 91st centile then it’s likely that they are carrying some excess weight.
You can have your child’s BMI checked at the GP or at a pharmacy.
But you can also check by following these steps at home – you will need scales and a tape measure:
- Weigh them on the scales
- Measure their height by standing them next to a wall and marking with a pencil where the top of their head is on the wall and then using a tape measure, measure from the floor up to the mark
- Input their height and weight into a child’s BMI calculator
Easy ways to measure weight
2. Friends and peers
You might have noticed that your child looks larger than their school friends and put it down to them having a growth spurt – but if they continue to be larger than their peers, they could be carrying excess weight.
Early intervention can be helpful here. We often find that by making just a few small changes to diet and routine, families can have a big impact on their childs’ health. Get in touch with us for tips!
Some children can face bullying when they are heavier than their peers. If you worry that your child may be being bullied, try reading our guide to talking about bullying for support and advice.
3. School uniform sizes
As your child grows, it’s natural to buy new uniforms to fit them. However, perhaps during the process you’ve noticed they’ve put on a little bit of extra weight since last time, or that you need to buy a larger size than their age?
Getting children’s sizes right can be challenging: sizes vary from shop to shop and children of the same age are all different sizes. We know that clothes sizes are not always representative of age, as they do not take height or other factors into account – but consistently buying a larger age size could be one indicator that your child may be above a healthy weight.
4. Physical activity
Watching how your child exercises can be a clue to weight struggles. Common signs are struggling to keep up with friends, needing to take more breaks than their peers, getting out of breath quickly or sweating more than their friends.
Every child is different and that these signs are not an exact science (for example, some people naturally sweat more than others), but they may help to build a picture.
5. Self-image
Children can become self-conscious for multiple reasons. As children grow up, they become more self-aware of their body image. This can lead to insecurity and low self-confidence.
Body image issues can arise from influences from social media, the internet and TV. We want our children to be happy and comfortable in their own skin but we can’t lock them away from the world to achieve this.
Sometimes children can become self-conscious because they realise they are carrying more weight than their peers, and if your child is overweight they may face low self-esteem or even bullying. It’s worth talking to your child about their self-image and their relationship to their own body, along with boosting their confidence by praising non-physical attributes like their intelligence, kindness or sense of humour.
