Over Weight Four Year Old

Have his TSH, T3 and T4 tested. Also consider doing food allergy testing IgE and consider food sensitivity testing IgG. All of these are blood tests.

R.,
My dh signed me up for this, so I'm not sure I'm right about this -- are you in Arlington, Texas? If so, you need to contact Dr. Maria Fisher. She runs a clinic for children who are at risk for diabetes. They do lots of exercise, plus they introduce kids to healthy foods. It's kind of like the Cooper Clinic in Dallas, only for kids. They had one little girl who already had diabetes, and through diet and exercise, they were able to turn it around.

Hope they can help you!
Blessings,
P.

Has his weight always been unproportional to his height? My kids packed on the pounds just before a growth spurt. Now my grand-daughter looks like she's getting a little heavy and we know she's about to get taller. It's our body's way of preparing us for the change. What's funny is my kids would practically wake up and be 2" taller and the weight and height would be proportional again. Now my kids were normally skinny so it was obvious when they put on extra pounds. My hubby and I were skinny kids. My grand-daughter is natually heavy, she doesn't normally look it, she's just solid as a rock. Apparently she takes after her dad in that respect. So it could be it's genetic for your son to weigh more. Unless there is a medical problem or he's overeating a lot, that may be normal for him. Make sure he gets lots of exercise (not too much couch time) and low fat milk, etc. I wouldn't give him too much sugar free unless it has Splenda, the other contains aspartain and that's bad for us. Does he take any classes like gymnastics or karate? Since he's so energetic already, this may help him burn some extra calories or get in shape. Maybe it's muscle weight instead of fat already. So that's just my 2 cents worth. Hope it helps.
K.

well, barring medical conditions, it's really very simplistic. output MUST be greater than input. snacking, even healthy snacking, can pack on the pounds. portion control is CRUCIAL. does he eat a lot of bread? i agree with the other poster about drinks. at four years old, he should ONLY be drinking milk and water, especially if weight is an issue. no eating after dinner, and eat dinner early, 6pm or earlier. water only after that. my 2 boys eat breakfast, mid morning snack, lunch, mid afternoon snack, dinner. we NEVER allow grazing, partly b/c we have four dogs, but it works in the boys favor healthwise. if they are eating, they MUST be at the table. this cuts down on "boredom" eating. each of them ALWAYS has a cup of ice water available to them. wow, i sound like a food nazi! the rare exception to the rule is when we go out to eat, which is maybe 3 times a month(and yes, that includes fast food). the boys can drink something other than milk or water. usually our two year old will choose chocolate milk or lemonade, and our 5.5 year old will typically choose coke or dr pepper - we have not allowed our 2 year old to have soda yet. mostly their snacks are crackers and cheese, fresh fruit, a pickle, granola bar, something along those lines. we do have an occassional cookie or ice cream sandwich, but probably once every other week or so. i would REALLY sit back and look at EVERYTHING that goes into his mouth. is there any chance that he gets into food when you're not looking or sleeping? sleeping is critical too, science has proven that. kids need to go to bed early, at four years old, certainly no later than 8pm. i think it's great that you're concerned. if it's definitely nothing medical, it's time to start restricting portions. good luck!

We must be cyber-twins. I too have a son who is a bit chunky. He is 6 and weighs almost 80 pounds but his height is proportional to his weight. I have type 1 diabetes and we do eat pretty healthy around here too. My son has always been big since the day he was born (7 pounds 3 ounces, that is big for my babies). Our pediatrician was never satisfied with his weight and sent us to a cardiologist (who said he was just fine) and then to an endocrinologist (who again said he was fine). We have seen many nutritionists (who said we are doing everything right). He is an active child who plays football and baseball. He will swim all day if I let him. He never gets tired. All we do now is keep him active and watch what he eats. I don't buy a lot of junk food but we do have it from time to time. My older son is a twig...go figure on that one and he is the one that is only active in Boy Scouts and is not a fruit eater. He is healthy and that is what matters.

It is tough when you have a bigger child because it is an automatic assumption that you are feeding or rewarding with bad food choices. I know the looks and questions that you get from strangers, doctors, friends, and sometimes family members. Hang in there because he will grow up and not out.

Have you thought about seeing an endocrinologist? I'd recommended Dr. Perrin White at Children's Medical Center. He is top notch and they have a wonderful team in place there.

I would have his blood pressure and cholesterol measured, and keep a food and activity diary.

The other thing I'd ask myself is is he fat? Can you pinch a few inches, or is he made of lead (mine is - his BMI is 23, which for his age is overweight - but he's skinny)? Is he prepping for a growth spurt?

My best advice is to not freak out. Don't give him food issues, because if he's eating a healthy diet and getting plenty of exercise, everything will even out.

S.

R.,

Read up on www.mercola.com. He recommends nutritional typing, which may be helpful. Also, you may think your son's diet is "healthy" when really it is not. We generally don't receive proper education in eating from schools, parents, etc. I see this all the time with my child's friend's parents. They think things like goldfish crackers, cheerios, popcorn, fruit yogurt, granola bars, dairy products, etc. are healthy snack foods, when they are not. Your pediatrician can't help you because they aren't trained in food. They often look at eliminating fat - which is very bad for you - and they don't place enough emphasis on eliminating sugar. Eliminating healthy fats can actually make you obese and sick. The recommended diabetic diet is actually killing diabetics, according to Mercola's website. Listening to physicians is a good way to shorten your lifespan. In reality, the definition of "sugar" includes all grains, including "whole grain" pastas and breads, as well as whole grain rice and corn. All grains generally are starchy and "sugary" in the body. Also included is fruit, both whole fruit and juice. If there is an insulin resistance problem, diabetes, or overweight issues, all this should be eliminated. MD's aren't aware of this.

In addition, they don't understand food intolerances. A person with a gluten intolerance, for example, may suffer obesity as a side affect of the inadequate digestion resulting from the autoimmune reaction in the body. For more info on food intolerances, see www.enterolab.com.

Careful about "no sugar" products. They are often just as unhealthy, or more so, than the sugar products. Artificial sweeteners are killers.

A good general rule is, if it comes in a box, bag or other package, it isn't healthy.

Is he in preschool? This is an unfortunate source of sugar overdose for most children. I know of preschools that serve sugar cookies and juice for snack! Pretzels, crackers and raisins are no better. It doesn't matter how healthy you are at home when the school is undermining your efforts.

In addition, an unusual local pediatrician you might try is Dr. Deborah Bain in Frisco. www.healthykidspediatrics.com. She began studying nutrition after she experienced a personal health crisis. She may be able to help. She knows much more than your average doctor.

Good luck!

My son is 2 and is 56 lbs. I totally agree with Shawna on Dr. Perrin White being an AWESOME Dr. My son was just diagnosed with Psuedohypoparathyroidism type 1a..also known as Albright's Hereditary Osteodystrophy. This is a rare genetic disorder and obesity is a big thing. He started gaining weight at about 3 months and kept gaining 3-4 lbs a month. No other Dr.'s could figure this out, and kept telling me they may never figure it out. He has calcified bone growths under the skin and development delays. I took him to Dr. White in Dallas and just one look at him he said he thought this is what he had, and sure enough it was. My son has hypothyroidism also. I would be happy to share pictures of my child and any info to help you. My son is on a 800-900 calorie diet and at least since he started walking has halted a bit. But because his thyroid and parathyroid doesn't function right, it affects everything in his body. I would get an endocrinolgist to check his thyroid functions and ask to have his parathyroid checked, calcium, etc. and mention if it's possible for pseudohypoparathyroidism. Please contact me for any info at ____@____.com. Anyone that has questions can contact me. This is a rare and hard syndrome to catch and I know personally how hard it is to deal with and wonder. I was accused of overfeeding my son for the longest time, and I'm relieved to know now that I wasn't crazy thinking something was for sure wrong. Good luck!!!

One important thing to remember is don't try to make him lose weight unless his weight gets above his lifetime maximum weight (and he has a LONG way to go before he reaches that)! Any child who is overweight now will "grow" into it - any good pediatrician will tell you this!

Ask your pediatrician or a registered dietitian how many calories he should be consuming every day to maintain his weight until his height and age catch up with him. Then, keep a log of every calorie he consumes and stick to it (that includes food and beverages). There are lots of websites that can give you calories for non-labeled foods, like fruits & veggies. Also, if he's a very active child, make sure he's eating enough to compensate for all that activity. If he starts to lose weight, then he needs to eat more. Increase his daily consumption by 200-300 calories. If he starts to gain, decrease by that same amount. Buy a food scale and start weighing his food that's not already pre-packaged by the serving. Weigh him no more than once a week, but whatever you do, don't tell him that he's fat. Just tell him that he has to stand the scale (first thing in the morning) once a week because the doctor wants to see his "magic" number for the week. Or... rather than have him stand on the scale, you can hold him and get on. Then, put him down and get on again. Then subtract your weight from the weight of both of you to get his final weight.

I would take him to a specialist in nutrien and reg doctors only deal with part of our bodies. Obesity can have some sort of enzine or something that can make him this way. It does not seem to be his diet and activity. It has to be a chemical in his system. I know on Dr Phil they had kids obese that they say obess with food. They tell them to remove all the junk in the home. Not good for them or us. Diebetis seems to also be triggered with being over weight. My dad was diebetis and all his brothers but none of the two sisters. They were all overweight. Also it is not what we eat but how much. All say drinking water in every diet or nutrien cleanses our colons and helps keep us healthy. I would keep seeking answers as you are. Something is not right. I weighed 90 pounds in High School and old age produces weight with meds and over the years they say we add one pound of fat a year so if he is over weight now look at the years ahead. God Bless and keep trying. We have challenges in our lives and this is one you need to keep on. G. W

I've been going to a nutritionist for over a year now and have learned so much about how if one thing is off in the body it can affect so many other things! She found that my migraines were caused by my spleen not functioning properly. Who even knows what the spleen does? She gave me supplements for it and I haven't and any headaches since! I guarantee she can find out what's going on with your son and she can fix it with nutritional therapy. She is a clinical nutritionist and is one of the very best in her field. She's here in Wichita Falls but if you don't live nearby she can still help. She has clients all across the country and even some international. Give her a call! Dr. Donna Smith, Advanced Clinical Nutrition, ###-###-#### or ____@____.com website is www.advancedclinicalnutrition.com. (Her website is going to be redesigned soon so have patience with how wordy it is right now). Good luck! I know she can help you! Plus she is very caring so you will be in good hands!

Hi R.,

Did they do blood tests on him? Perhaps his metabolism is slow - I suffer from hypothyroid which can cause weight issues. If he's eating reasonable portions (the size of his fist), and not drinking juice all day long (high fructose corn syrup is in EVERYTHING! Horrible stuff!), there may be a medical issue, especially if he's very active, but continues to gain. See if you can get a referral to an endocrinologist to find out if his body is regulating itself correctly. Good luck and good job for being on top of things. Trust your gut - if it says you need to dig deeper for answers, do it. :)

He may eat well when you see him eat. But to hold him and the family accountable you need to journal EVERYTHING he eats. He is only 4 and he is almost double what he should be, for your son's health and life please take care of him. I have had family with similar situations and journaling helped them be aware of food consumption. Best of luck.

Were the tests for diabetes and hypothyroidism? Just 2 thoughts.

hmmm... I think I would make sure he is getting plenty of water (he could be getting extra calories even with healthy foods that he doesn't need when he makes the mistake of thinking he is hungry when he is actually thirsty- we all do that) and make sure all fruit juices, colas, and koolaids are removed from his diet. Also he should probably only be taking in skim milk.

If he is managing all of that- NOT getting extras and portions he doesn't need, excersising plenty AND is still overweight I would consult another doctor to have his metabolisim checked.

Sounds like you're doing all the right things.

Don't give him juice or milk.... just water. Calories from what we drink really adds up.

Also, try no food after 6pm.

And sleep. Make sure he sleeps plenty. Not getting enough sleep for some reason seems to make people fatter.

Find a good endocrinologist and have him tested.

Hi there....I completely understand where you're coming from I have two boys and my oldest who is now 11, is at 5'2 and weighs about 195....he's a big kid...and been that way since he was born...he has always been a big eater, but I set limits in the house. My son plays football and is now in his 6th year...I would just suggest that you make sure that all of his stats are where they are supposed to be...my son from being a big kid now has exercised induced asthma from being having all that weight on him...just make sure that he stays very active. my son tries to get lazy on me, but I won't have him just sitting around and get bigger...cause he is hitting that really hard age. Anyway, I wish you luck with everything...and keep your head up. People will always talk. Don't let them get you down. And know that just because you have a bigger than normal kid, doesn't make you a bad mom....as long as you're doing your best, that's all that matters....thanks and good luck.....let us know if you find anything out....

Hi R.,

I would first recommend that you change pediatricians. Perhaps, something is going on with his thyroid if he's that active and still gaining weight and not eating junk food. I take my kids to All About Pediatrics in McKinney, right off of El Dorado. The address is 2217 Eldorado Pkwy. Phone ###-###-####. I hope you find help.

I would look into getting a second or even third opinion. If you feel like there may be something going on you should go with your gut instincts. Hope all works out.

get a referral for a second opinion and ask to see an endocarnolist(sp)he can check for gentic issues and the all growth and puturitary stuff. Dont stop pushing until your happy woth the answer. Your child will probably be fine as some children are heavy through childhood. Good luck