Fit or fat?

good questions.....

Well yes, a person who is very muscular can definitely be, according to a doctor's chart, "overweight."

A doctor checking up a person who is lean, but muscular, I'm sure wouldn't advise them to lose weight.

A much better indication of fit vs. fat is calculating body fat percentage.

Body mass index (BMI) is measure of body fat based on height and weight that applies to both adult men and women.

BMI is a reliable indicator of total body fat, which is related to the risk of disease and death. The score is valid for both men and women but it does have some limits. The limits are:

It may overestimate body fat in athletes and others who have a muscular build.
It may underestimate body fat in older persons and others who have lost muscle mass.
Appropriate weight gain during pregnancy varies and depends upon initial body weight or BMI level. Pregnant women should contact a health professional to assure appropriate weight gain during pregnancy.

bmi

The reason I as is because of Mo, whose doctor says that he needs to lose weight and that she's happy to hear that he's "up and moving around".

And I'm like, "f***, you're talking about Bam-bam? The kid who scaled the 6 foot fence in my yard because he wanted something out of the front yard? The kid who dug up my entire backyard with his toy shovel? The kid who never ever sits down unless he plans to sleep? Bam-bam?"

Mo's got this little kid pot-belly but otherwise not a roll or a bulge or a smidgen of fat anywhere on him.

I asked my friend, a nurse, who has always known Mo, if she thought he was fat and she laughed: "He's a frikken tank but he's not fat" said she.

So anyway, this got me thinking.

What if, say, Slappy's doctor (and I use Slappy as an example because I've heard him talk about working out) sent his medical file off to somewhere in Podunk to an insurance agent. And let's say this insurance agent, without ever seeing Slappy, decides that he is overweight and hikes his rates.

Is it fair to assume that the height/weight charts offer any index into someone's fitness level?

Most physicals these days check your blood pressure and make sure your heat is beating and you're out the door (and for this I pay $600 each month for my family). I get more info regarding my health when I go donate blood (free).

I know it is unhealthy to be overweight and that there is all kinds of science showing how it is especially dangerous for kids. I don't want Mo to fall into a dangerous category but honestly, I really only think I could get him to lose weight is by tying him down and making him watch TV.

:-?

I'm grumpier and grumpier about the medical profession. I have spent too much time second-guessing, and justifiably so at least twice. (As in, medical type said something, I thought it was wrong, I stuck to my guns, sure enough medical type was wrong.)

Could just be bad luck of course.

But yeah, it doesn't sound like Mo lacks for activity AT ALL, and just from pictures he's way more tank than anything else.

At least twice with sozlet that is... not even going into my OWN experiences, yoiks...

My understanding is that carrying too much muscle weight can be detrimental to your health. Mainly from the effort on your heart from lugging it all around.

Doubt that this applies to a tyke, though.

I have a lot of friends who were "fat" growing up, but ended up filling out and becoming pretty muscular(and some became fat again) One's a pro athlete. Kids who are going to grow up as bigger guys, are going to carry fat. Kids who are going to be slender, even average, are going to be skinny rails.

Being a seriously overweight kid and being somewhat stocky is different. Their bodies don't have the ability to pack on muscle on yet.

I have no idea about your question on sending medical files. I'm sure if the person was lean and in shape, why couldn't the doctor could note it on the file?

I would ignore any recommendation that a child lose weight unless they are clearly obese. Kids are growing a mile a minute. A stocky kid today could easily be a tall lean one tomorrow.

What a crock! Like sozobe, I have been losing faith in the medical profession for precisely the same reasons. If he eats well and gets plenty of exercise, he's fine. Crikey, he's not even 5 yet, right? He's still a baby. My son was the fattest baby alive at one time. I would have ditched any doctor that suggested he lose weight, and still would. He goes through stocky phases, then he grows a few inches. That's what kids do.

There are special bmi charts for kids. I'll try to find a link.

edit: This one is pretty good.

http://www.keepkidshealthy.com/welcome/bmicalculator.html

From the link above:

Are either of Mo's parents big boned mesomorph types?

I have know several teeny-tiny tanks (fortunately all of them were boys). Some of them were more square than rectangular. These are the guys who are coveted by the Pee Wee Wrestling Coaches and the Midget Football coaches.

They are not over weight--they are big boned kids who will consume tens of thousands of gallons of milk (to say nothing of quantities of red meat and complex carbohydrates and anything else in the refrigerator) and grow into physically formidable adults.

This issue does not require worry. Save your energy.

I thought it was a bit strange that the doctor would suggest that he lose weight but I do understand the concens behind her advice. It was her "up and moving around" statment that really gave me pause as she seemed to be saying "thank God he can move around". You can tell he moves around just by looking at him and if you watch him for a few minutes he will most certainly prove it to you.

I mean really - this kid has been rearranging the furniture since he could walk.

Mo's mom is short and chunky and his dad is very tall and thin. I know the extended family on both sides and would not think that overweight is in any way genetic for him.

I'm not going to fret too much about it but I don't want to set him up for health problems now or in the future.