Green Parenting: Children: No child is born overweight. There is no obesity in the wild. It's a disease of civilization...
Why there are more and more overweight children and what to do about it
Unhealthy eating habits, the habit of “plugging your mouth” with delicious, feeding to satiety and forcing you to eat everything “that you put in”, a sedentary lifestyle (thanks computer games) - here are the main reasons why there are more and more overweight children.
Of course, there are also endocrine disruptions, diseases in which the child gets better, even if the intake of calories is equal to their consumption. Then the fullness of children all the more deserves parental attention. But endocrine obesity accounts for only five percent of cases.
Obesity (paratrophy) is diagnosed even in infants. But, according to Dr. Komarovsky, this is not at all a reason for panic, especially if the child is breastfed.
As a mother of a 16-year-old underweight son, who was diagnosed with just such a diagnosis at six months, I can say - there may not be a trace of infantile fullness, as soon as the child begins to actively move. Moreover, while the child is small, it is not difficult to control his nutrition - usually up to three years, children have a separate table.
Difficulties begin later, when the child becomes a full-fledged participant in family meals. Especially if those are a nutritionist's nightmare.
The most common parenting mistakes
1. Don't change anything and wait for it to go away on its own
Normal moms and dads, learning that their children have allergies or diabetes, do not hesitate to exclude "dangerous" foods from the diet. However, when it comes to fullness, they often do nothing.
Loving parents often turn a blind eye to the problem in the hope that it will resolve itself. Indeed, miracles happen, but their expectation may be delayed, and the harm to health may become irreversible.
On the website of the World Health Organization we read: “Obesity in children is associated with an increased likelihood of premature death and disability in adulthood. Overweight and obese children tend to become obese in adulthood and are more likely to develop noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease at a younger age.” Creepy, isn't it?
2. Put your child on a strict diet
Diet is not a panacea at all. In his notes of the endocrinologist, Dr. Grebnev claims that proteins, fats and carbohydrates must enter the child's body in certain proportions. Therefore, mono-diets, the benefits of which are very doubtful for adults, are this case are cancelled.
In addition, without self-motivation, the child will feel left out. And the forbidden fruit is known to be sweet. Breaking out from under parental control, he, most likely, will want to make up for all the lost. Even worse, if he develops a habit of stress eating. Then try to convince him of the fallacy of the formula "food equals pleasure."
3. Shift responsibility to the sports section
Physical activity is one of the essential elements of a set of measures to combat excess weight. One of, but not the only one.
Without a review of the relationship to food, at best, it will be possible to stop weight gain or achieve a slight decrease in it. Of course, unless the child runs ten kilometers daily.
But, as a rule, the child goes to the section two or three times a week, and in order to lose weight, it is necessary that the “arrival” is less than the “expenditure” daily.
What to do
First, it's worth stop justifying excess weight (both yours and your child) by heredity and metabolism. Yes, everyone's metabolism is different, but as a rule, thin people do not overeat with rolls and do not drink mayonnaise at night. Upon closer examination, it turns out thatthose who are naturally dry tend to be picky and moderate in eating. Such people may not limit themselves, but intuitively eat right.
The opposite is also true: often those who believe that they eat like a bird simply do not see the sin in a chocolate bar or a bag of seeds. But one day is enough to count the calories consumed, as soon as everything becomes clear.
The good news is that anyone can lose weight. Bad (relatively) - you have to completely change your lifestyle. To the whole family.
A change in diet cannot be about just one child. Even if you personally do not have problems with being overweight, giving up sweets and starchy foods, fatty, spicy and fried foods will only benefit you. It is important to understand - this is not a sacrifice, but an elementary concern for health.
- limit energy intake from all types of fats, switch from saturated fats to unsaturated fats and eliminate trans fatty acids;
- increase consumption of fruits and vegetables, legumes, whole grains and nuts;
- limit your intake of free sugars;
- limit salt (sodium) intake from all sources and ensure salt iodization.
And here is my opinion: if there are no cookies and sweets in the house, but instead fried potatoes mom prepares grilled vegetables for a side dish, the child’s body will have no choice but to start burning its own reserves. Provided that the amount of energy "output" exceeds the amount of energy "input".
1. "No" to diets, prohibitions and severe restrictions
"Yes" healthy nutrition and review my diet. No need to justify yourself by the fact that there are a lot of temptations around. Believe me, a person who never buys chips and hamburgers lives very well without them.
I do not impose sanctions for "junk food", so from time to time children feast on it. But in general, their diet is healthy and balanced.
2. Power mode
The fast pace of life, working late - the realities of many moms and dads. Therefore, today a rare family eats according to a schedule. In the end, everyone eats what they want, when they want. Endless snacks replace a full meal, and the tradition of gathering at a common table is an anachronism.
But at least once a day or week (if due to work, dinner risks being late) have a real family meal.
As for snacks, then let them be - if there is no junk food at home, no one will get better from carrots.
3. Union with grandmother
In some families, this is the most difficult task. "Butter" grannies show love to their grandchildren through pies and pancakes. In this case, parents will have to be tough. Compromises are inappropriate here. Excess weight- this is not a joke. When it comes to the health of children, you need to act decisively.
4. More movement
Sport is not a panacea, but you won’t lose weight without movement. It is not possible to make friends with the sections, start a tradition of cycling (in summer) and skating (in winter). Running, fitness, even just hiking - everything will fit into the business.
And yes - personal example is contagious.
No need for sudden movements, no need to choose the most active sport. A hated activity for a baby is extra stress and a path to his “jamming”.
Start with short walks, don’t take your child to school, teach him how to save on public transport, introduce him to roller skates, a skateboard, or at least a scooter. published . If you have any questions on this topic, ask them to specialists and readers of our project .
Doctors never tire of repeating that obesity is a real war, where there is only one enemy, but at the same time countless victims. This problem modernity is exacerbated by the fact that children are on the “battlefield”.
According to statistics, in the United States, every second child is overweight, and one in five is obese. In Western European countries, these figures are smaller, but they are steadily increasing. The disease is already beyond the scope of hereditary predisposition. Increasingly, physical inactivity and the abuse of fast foods and trans fats are among the main reasons.
Causes
Like adults, obesity in children is difficult to treat. In order for the therapy to be successful, it is first necessary to find out the causes of the disease. To do this, doctors collect an anamnesis and conduct all kinds of laboratory tests.
The most common causes of overweight include:
- excess intake of calories;
- hypodynamia;
- hereditary predisposition;
- metabolic disease;
- tumor of the hypothalamus, hemoblastosis, skull trauma;
- neuroendocrine diseases: hypercortisolism, hypothyroidism;
- lack of sleep;
- lack of daily routine;
- long-term use of glucocorticoids, antidepressants;
- gene mutations;
- chromosomal and other genetic syndromes: Prader-Willi, Ahlstrom, Cohen, fragile X-chromosome, Down, pseudohypoparathyroidism.
All these risk factors need to be identified in a timely manner in order to begin the necessary treatment. Unfortunately, parents often delay until the last degree, until obesity of the first degree turns into the third with all the complications and consequences for life and health.
Symptoms
The clinical picture of the disease is closely related to the age characteristics of the child. So at certain stages of his life, the symptoms may be different. As a rule, the signs of obesity develop progressively, i.e., they appear brighter with each stage.
- overweight;
- strong allergic reactions;
- dysbacteriosis;
- constipation.
Junior school age:
- overweight;
- excessive sweating;
- shortness of breath when walking and physical exertion;
- deformation of the figure due to the appearance of fat folds in the abdomen, hips, buttocks, arms and shoulders;
- high blood pressure.
Adolescence:
- pronounced symptoms described above;
- fast fatiguability;
- violation menstrual cycle in girls;
- dizziness, frequent and severe headaches;
- swelling of the limbs;
- It's a dull pain in the joints;
- depressive, depressed state;
- conscious isolation from peers.
In adolescence, the disease reaches a new level, covering not only the physiology, but also the psychological state of the child. Being overweight does not allow him to fully communicate with his peers. Often this leads to maladaptation, antisocial behavior and even autism.
Diagnostics
Having noticed the first signs of the disease in your child, one should not hope that this is temporary, this happens to everyone, all this is age-related and will soon pass. You need to contact an endocrinologist as soon as possible, who will make the correct diagnosis and give appropriate recommendations.
Collection of anamnesis:
- birth weight;
- age of onset of obesity;
- growth dynamics;
- the presence of type II diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular diseases;
- neurological complaints: headaches, vision problems;
- psychomotor development;
- height and weight of parents.
Objective data:
- androgen-dependent dermopathy: hirsutism, oily seborrhea, acne;
- blood pressure;
- waist circumference;
- distribution of fatty tissue in parts of the body;
- height;
- stage of sexual development.
Laboratory diagnostics:
- blood chemistry;
- lipidogram;
- Ultrasound of the liver to determine its enzymes;
- glucose tolerance test to determine insulin resistance;
- these are the hormones that will need to be tested for analysis: thyroid, cortisol, ACTH, leptin, parathyroid hormone, proinsulin, prolactin, LH, FSH, SSSH, testosterone, anti-Mullerian hormone, growth hormone;
- 24-hour blood pressure monitoring.
Instrumental research:
- bioimpedancemetry;
- MRI of the brain;
- ophthalmological examination;
- polysomnography;
- ultrasound abdominal cavity;
- ECG, ECHO-KG.
Molecular genetic research:
- determination of the karyotype;
- search for gene mutations.
Expert advice:
- physical therapy doctor;
- gastroenterologist;
- geneticist;
- gynecologist;
- nutritionist;
- cardiologist;
- neuropathologist;
- otolaryngologist;
- psychologist;
- endocrinologist.
There is no need to be afraid that if a poor child is suspected of being obese, they will be driven through all these studies and analyzes. After collecting an anamnesis, the doctor will make assumptions about what factors caused the disease and prescribe only those diagnostic methods that are necessary to confirm the diagnosis.
Age features
Due to the fact that adipose tissue in the body is formed with different intensity, there are stages of childhood obesity associated with age-related characteristics:
- in children under one year old, the first buildup of adipose tissue occurs and obesity is not diagnosed;
- 1-3 years - a critical period when parents and relatives overfeed the baby with sweets - this is the first stage when symptoms of the disease may appear;
- 3-5 years - fat growth stabilizes, weight problems are rarely observed;
- 5-7 years - the second critical stage, characterized by the growth of body fat;
- 8-9 years - in children of school age in primary school problems with weight are rarely noted, since active life, physical education, lessons allow them to spend a sufficient amount of calories;
- 10-11 years is also a relatively calm stage, but here it is very important for parents to prepare a teenager for the upcoming puberty and instill healthy eating habits in him;
- 12-13 years - it is at this age that serious hormonal changes occur in the teenage body due to puberty, which often becomes an impetus for gaining extra pounds.
Knowing critical periods in a child's life, parents can be more attentive to the problem of excess weight at these stages. This will allow everything to be corrected in the initial stages, when the disease has not yet started.
Classification
Doctors have more than one classification of childhood obesity: by etiology, consequences, degrees, etc. In order for parents not to wander into them, it is enough to have minimal information.
First, the disease can be:
- primary - due to heredity and congenital pathologies;
- secondary - acquired as a result of malnutrition and physical inactivity.
Secondly, there is a special table that will help determine obesity in a child by body mass index (BMI), which is calculated by the formula:
I (BMI) \u003d M (weight in kilograms) / H 2 (height in meters).
- I degree
A little overweight in a child does not cause anxiety in parents. They even rejoice at his excellent appetite and plump cheeks. The diagnoses of pediatricians are not taken seriously, always appealing to the good health of their child. In fact, obesity of the 1st degree is easy to cure with sports and proper nutrition. But because of this behavior of adults, this happens extremely rarely.
- II degree
The disease gradually progresses, which leads to obesity of the 2nd degree. At this stage, shortness of breath and excessive sweating. Children move little and often stay in bad mood. Problems begin with physical education at school and social adaptation in the classroom.
- III degree
At this stage, the disease is already manifesting itself with might and main, so it is difficult not to notice it. The joints of the legs begin to hurt, the pressure rises, the level of sugar in the blood fluctuates. The child becomes unbalanced, irritable, falls into depression.
So parents themselves can determine the degree of obesity at home. This will allow you to seek medical help in a timely manner.
Norm and pathology
In addition to degrees, a table by age will allow you to identify overweight, where, according to WHO data, pathological values of body weight are collected. For boys and girls, the parameters will be different. In addition, they still need to be adjusted depending on growth.
Weight of girls 1-17 years old, according to WHO
Weight of boys 1-17 years old, according to WHO
If the child is very tall, it is allowed to slightly increase the parameters given in the table.
Treatment
Parents and the child himself will have to without fail go through the School of Obesity. So doctors call a set of measures for the correction of eating behavior and adequate physical activity. This motivational training is considered the foundation of therapy. It is there that clinical recommendations for the treatment of pathology are set out in detail.
Nutrition
First of all, in case of childhood obesity, diet therapy is prescribed, compiled according to Pevzner's table No. 8. Without it, it is impossible to treat this disease.
Pevzner's Special Diet for Obese Children recommends including following products in this volume:
- bread (coarse grinding or bran) - up to 170 grams per day;
- fermented milk products up to 1.5% fat - 200 gr;
- (minimum potatoes) - 220 gr;
- chicken, turkey, lean meat and fish - 180 gr;
- , buckwheat and barley porridge - 200 gr;
- vegetables in unlimited quantities, cooked in any way;
- unsweetened fruits - 400 gr;
- tea, uzvar, freshly squeezed juices - in any quantity.
Sample menu for obesity 2 degrees
At the first degree, the diet can be varied with honey, more fatty dairy products, sweet fruits, fried foods. At grade 3, vegetable oil and any indulgence in food are excluded.
- reduction in portion sizes;
- fractional 5 meals a day;
- dinner - 3 hours before bedtime;
- abundant use of ordinary water;
- complete exclusion of fast food, chips, snacks, soda.
Baby diet meals:
- curd-banana dessert;
- beet-carrot casserole;
- dried fruit pastille;
- lazy soup with meatballs;
- meat soufflé;
- cottage cheese pancakes;
- chicken cutlets in a steamer and others.
Recipes
- Steam meatballs
150 g of lean beef, cleaned of tendons and film, scroll 2-3 times through a meat grinder. Cook a tablespoon of rice, cool, stir into minced meat. Pass through the meat grinder again, add a quarter of a boiled egg and 5 gr. butter. Beat the whole mass with a blender. Roll up small meatballs, put them in a frying pan, thinly oiled, pour cold water, boil for 10 minutes.
- Vegetable soup
Chop 2 small and 2 celery stalks. Chop the onion. Mix chopped vegetables, add 100 g of white beans, cut into halves 4 cherry tomatoes. Pour 500 ml of vegetable or chicken broth. Boil after boiling for half an hour. Season to taste with sea salt. Before serving, add a little low-fat sour cream.
- cupcakes
Grind 1 medium-sized banana and a handful of almonds in a blender. Mix them with grated carrots. Add 200 gr oatmeal, 10 ml of honey, 20 ml of lemon juice. Fill the molds with the resulting mass, put in the freezer. After 2 hours, move them to the refrigerator for an hour. Serve with tea.
Physical exercise
The treatment of obesity in children is not complete without adequate physical activity. She suggests:
- daily sports for at least 1 hour (if more - only welcome);
- it is better to devote most of these activities;
- games;
- competitions;
- travel;
- recreational activities;
- various complexes.
Medical treatment
Due to age contraindications of most drugs drug treatment disease is limited.
In certain cases, according to the testimony of specialists, the following medications may be prescribed to the child:
- Orlistat - allowed from the age of 12, helps fats be absorbed in the small intestine;
- - is prescribed from the age of 10 with type II diabetes mellitus.
The use of drugs such as Octreotide, Leptin, Sibutramine, growth hormone is limited to clinical and scientific research and is not recommended for the treatment of childhood obesity.
According to studies, dietetics, physical education and drug therapy are not very effective. In this regard, in some countries, childhood obesity is treated with surgical methods. However, clinical trials have shown that the use of bariatrics in children and adolescents (when compared with adults) is accompanied by numerous postoperative complications, low compliance, and frequent relapses in weight gain. In the Russian Federation, such operations for the treatment of obesity in those under 18 are prohibited.
Prevention
Parents should know what is the prevention of childhood obesity:
- full awareness of proper nutrition;
- breast-feeding up to 6 months;
- physical activity;
- sports;
- constant monitoring of BMI, timely detection of babies with this indicator over 10 at the age of 2-9 years;
- instilling healthy eating habits;
- walks in the open air.
If all this is implemented from a very early age, children and adolescents will never be diagnosed with obesity.
Complications
The most terrible thing in all this is what this pathology threatens. Unfortunately, parents do not always represent the full danger of the disease. Meanwhile, the consequences can be the most serious - up to death (at 3 degrees).
Among the most common complications:
- apnea;
- arterial hypertension;
- gynecomastia;
- hyperandrogenism;
- dyslipidemia;
- cholelithiasis;
- delay or acceleration of sexual development;
- pathologies of the musculoskeletal system: osteoarthritis, Blount's disease, spondylolisthesis;
- carbohydrate metabolism disorders: insulin resistance, impaired glucose tolerance, fasting glycemia;
- fatty liver: hepatosis and steatohepatitis are the most common conditions in children;
- relative androgen deficiency;
- diabetes mellitus type II;
- diseases of the gastrointestinal tract: inflammation of the pancreas, gastritis, hemorrhoids, constipation;
- liver failure;
- mental illness, psychosocial disorders;
- decrease in male reproductive function, female infertility in the future.
Parents should understand that obese children are unhappy. Therefore, their main task is to prevent such a development of events, and if this has already happened, to do everything to cure the child. The sooner adults realize it, the more chances for recovery and a prosperous life he will have in the future.
In most cases, overweight in children is formed due to malnutrition and lack of sufficient physical activity. But first of all, you need to make sure that excess weight is not one of the symptoms of endocrinological disease.
Dear visitors of the portal! The archive of medical consultations for 13 years has a large number of prepared materials that you can use. best regards, editorial
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Last consultation
Marina asks:
Hello, please tell me a child of 7 years old, height 121cm, weighs 34 kg, is this normal or not? Thanks in advance.
Answers:
Good afternoon, if we evaluate the child in accordance with the norms of height and weight of children in accordance with the WHO criteria, then the child has a few extra pounds. But in each case, an individual approach is required. First of all, you need to see the child, and not only him, but also his parents, find out the diet, etc. And only after that can you give appropriate recommendations.
Igor asks:
Hello, Doctor! We have such a problem - my child is rather large, but some say that everything is in order, while others - on the contrary, that something is wrong. The doctor has told or said, that it is necessary to look at centile tables. Help with these tables! My son is 7 years old. Thank you.
Responsible Medical consultant of the health-ua.org portal:
Good afternoon, Igor!
To determine the average norm of indicators of weight and height of the baby, depending on age, scientists compiled special tables, which are called centile. This is a fairly fast, practical and accessible method. In addition, it contains not only the so-called ideal weight, but also the allowable values of body weight (centile corridors), the values \u200b\u200bof which are also within the normal range, but not ideal. So, I present to your attention a centile table for children aged 3 to 12 years and the rules for decoding it. So, the average height of the child should be in the zone of 25-75 centiles. Growth between the 10th and 25th centiles is also considered normal, but indicates some tendency for the child to be stunted. Growth in the range of 75-90 centiles is also normal, but indicates a tendency to outperform growth. Growth between 3-10 centiles is considered low, while growth between 90-97 centiles is considered high. If the growth is 97 centile, then here we can talk about the presence of a child's pathology.
Centile values of body length (cm) for boys (3-12 years old)
| Age (year) | centiles | |||||
| 3 | 10 | 25 | 75 | 90 | 97 | |
| 3 | 88,0 | 89,6 | 92,1 | 99,7 | 102,2 | 103,9 |
| 3,5 | 90,3 | 92,1 | 95,0 | 102,5 | 105,0 | 106,8 |
| 4 | 93,2 | 95,4 | 98,3 | 105,5 | 108,0 | 110,0 |
| 4,5 | 96,3 | 98,3 | 101,2 | 108,5 | 111,2 | 113,5 |
| 5 | 98,4 | 101,7 | 104,9 | 112,0 | 114,5 | 117,2 |
| 5,5 | 102,4 | 104,7 | 108,0 | 115,2 | 118,0 | 120,1 |
| 6 | 105,5 | 108,0 | 110,8 | 118,8 | 121,4 | 123,3 |
| 7 | 110,3 | 113,8 | 117,0 | 125,0 | 127,9 | 130,0 |
| 8 | 116,4 | 118,8 | 122,0 | 131,0 | 134,3 | 136,4 |
| 9 | 121,5 | 124,6 | 127,5 | 136,5 | 140,3 | 142,5 |
| 10 | 126,4 | 129,2 | 133,0 | 142,0 | 146,2 | 149,1 |
| 11 | 131,2 | 134,0 | 138,0 | 148,3 | 152,9 | 155,2 |
| 12 | 135,8 | 138,8 | 142,7 | 154,9 | 159,5 | 162,4 |
Centile body weights (kg) for boys (3-12 years old)
| Age (year) | centiles | |||||
| 3 | 10 | 25 | 75 | 90 | 97 | |
| 3 | 12,1 | 12,8 | 13,6 | 16,0 | 16,9 | 17,5 |
| 3,5 | 12,7 | 13,4 | 14,2 | 17,0 | 18,0 | 18,7 |
| 4 | 13,3 | 14,2 | 15,1 | 18,0 | 19,1 | 20,0 |
| 4,5 | 14,0 | 14,9 | 15,9 | 19,0 | 20,6 | 21,7 |
| 5 | 14,8 | 15,7 | 16,8 | 20,1 | 22,0 | 23,2 |
| 5,5 | 15,5 | 16,6 | 17,8 | 21,4 | 23,4 | 25,1 |
| 6 | 16,3 | 17,6 | 18,9 | 22,6 | 24,9 | 27,0 |
| 7 | 18,2 | 19,6 | 21,3 | 25,5 | 28,0 | 31,1 |
| 8 | 20,0 | 21,5 | 23,4 | 28,4 | 31,7 | 35,1 |
| 9 | 22,0 | 23,4 | 25,6 | 31,4 | 35,4 | 39,2 |
| 10 | 24,0 | 25,6 | 28,0 | 35,1 | 39,5 | 45,0 |
| 11 | 26,0 | 28,0 | 31,0 | 39,2 | 44,5 | 50,5 |
| 12 | 28,3 | 30,4 | 34,4 | 43,8 | 50,0 | 57,0 |
Be sure to write down the height and weight of your child, and together we can figure out if these indicators correspond to the norm. All the best!
Svetlana asks:
Is there a difference in what should be the height and weight of the child, depending on whether it is a boy or a girl? And what should they be? I heard a lot about centile tables, I watched them myself, but I would like to ask you to write in a simple way, how much should boys and girls weigh from a year to 3 years old? Thank you!
Responsible Medical consultant of the health-ua.org portal:
Good afternoon, Svetlana! Of course, a certain difference in height and weight indicators in children, depending on gender, can really be traced. Below I will give a table with the average height and weight for boys and girls. I draw your attention to the fact that this and other formulas, tables, etc. physical development the child is provided with average statistical indicators without taking into account the constitutional characteristics of a person (heredity, race, etc.). Therefore, for an adequate assessment of the physical development of the child, contact a specialist - a family doctor or pediatrician.
Table: Indicators of weight and height of children depending on age and gender
| Age (year, month) | Boy | Girl | ||
| Weight, kg) | Height (cm) | Weight, kg) | Height (cm) | |
| 1 year | 10,300 | 75,5 | 9,500 | 73,8 |
| 1.1 months | 10,600 | 76,8 | 9,800 | 75,0 |
| 1, 2 months | 10,850 | 78,0 | 10,050 | 76,1 |
| 1.3 months | 11,100 | 79,0 | 10,300 | 77,2 |
| 1.4 months | 11,300 | 80,0 | 10,570 | 78,3 |
| 1.5 months | 11,500 | 81,0 | 10,780 | 79,3 |
| 1.6 months | 11,700 | 82,0 | 11,000 | 80,3 |
| 1.7 months | 11,900 | 83,0 | 11,200 | 81,3 |
| 18 months | 12,070 | 83,9 | 11,380 | 82,2 |
| 1.9 months | 12,230 | 84,7 | 11,570 | 83,1 |
| 1, 10 months | 12,370 | 85,6 | 11,730 | 84,0 |
| 1, 11 months | 12,530 | 86,4 | 11,880 | 84,9 |
| 2 years exactly | 12,670 | 87,3 | 12,050 | 85,8 |
| 2, 1 month | 12,830 | 88,1 | 12,220 | 86,7 |
| 2, 2 months | 12,950 | 88,9 | 12,380 | 87,5 |
| 2, 3 months | 13,080 | 89,7 | 12,520 | 88,4 |
| 2, 4 months | 13,220 | 90,3 | 12,680 | 89,2 |
| 2.5 months | 13,350 | 91,1 | 12,820 | 90,0 |
| 2.6 months | 13,480 | 91,8 | 12,980 | 90,7 |
| 2.7 months | 13,620 | 92,6 | 13,110 | 91,4 |
| 2.8 months | 13,770 | 93,2 | 13,260 | 92,1 |
| 2.9 months | 13,900 | 93,8 | 13,400 | 92,9 |
| 2, 10 months | 14,030 | 94,4 | 13,570 | 93,6 |
| 2, 11 months | 14,180 | 95,0 | 13,710 | 94,2 |
| 3 years exactly | 14,300 | 95,7 | 13,850 | 94,8 |
All the best!
Lena asks:
Doctor, help me figure it out! My son is 14 years old, height 144 cm. Today the pediatrician said that, judging by the centile tables, we are in red and we definitely have a disease and we are very small. Explain, please, what kind of table is it and is it possible to immediately make a diagnosis only on it?
Responsible Medical consultant of the health-ua.org portal:
Good afternoon, Lena! Centile tables are a unified method for determining height and weight depending on the sex and age of the child. According to this table, it is possible to determine the range of growth and weight indicators that is characteristic of the normal development of the child. Moreover, for convenience, the groups are divided not only into centels, but also painted in a certain color. So, the average height of a child is considered if it is within the green and blue values (25-75 centiles). Height and weight are also considered normal if its indicator is between the yellow and green values (10-25 centiles), but the presence of a tendency for a child to lag behind in height and weight cannot be denied. Height and weight in the zone between the blue and yellow values (75-90 centiles) is also normal, but indicates a tendency for the child to be ahead in height or weight. If you found the indicator of height and weight between the red and yellow values, then height or weight is considered low or insufficient (3-10 centile) or high and overweight (90-97 centile). Such a zone does not necessarily indicate the presence of a pathology (but this cannot be ruled out), it may be due to the constitutional features of the body structure. But if the height or weight is outside the red border, then this is a clear sign of the disease (endocrine, neurogenic, etc.). Be sure to seek the advice of a specialist.
Centile values of body length (cm) boys (12 - 17 years)
| Age (year) | centiles | |||||
| 3 | 10 | 25 | 75 | 90 | 97 | |
| 12 | 88,0 | 89,6 | 92,1 | 99,7 | 102,2 | 103,9 |
| 13 | 140,2 | 143,6 | 147,4 | 160,4 | 165,8 | 169,6 |
| 14 | 144,9 | 148,3 | 152,4 | 166,4 | 172,2 | 176,0 |
| 15 | 149,3 | 101,7 | 158,0 | 172,0 | 178,0 | 181,0 |
| 16 | 154,0 | 158,0 | 162,0 | 177,4 | 182,0 | 185,0 |
| 17 | 159,3 | 163,0 | 168,1 | 181,2 | 185,1 | 187,9 |
Centile weights (kg) for boys (12 - 17 years old)
| Age (year) | centiles | |||||
| 3 | 10 | 25 | 75 | 90 | 97 | |
| 12 | 28,3 | 30,4 | 34,4 | 43,8 | 50,0 | 57,0 |
| 13 | 31,0 | 33,4 | 39,8 | 49,0 | 56,2 | 63,6 |
| 14 | 34,0 | 35,2 | 42,2 | 54,6 | 62,2 | 70,5 |
| 15 | 37,8 | 40,8 | 46,9 | 60,2 | 65,1 | 76,5 |
| 16 | 41,2 | 45,4 | 51,8 | 65,9 | 73,0 | 82,5 |
| 17 | 46,4 | 50,5 | 56,8 | 70,6 | 78,0 | 86,2 |
All the best!
Valeria asks:
Good afternoon! My son is 4 months old, every time at the doctor's appointment we always weigh ourselves. Tell me - why do this every month? Or maybe we are not all right, and the doctor is just silent? Tell me, what is the normal height and weight for children under one year old? We have a height of 65 cm and a weight of 6800.
Responsible Medical consultant of the health-ua.org portal:
Hello! One of the important indicators of the physiological development of a child up to a year is a normal increase in height and weight, since they are able to objectively reflect the process of a baby's development. Therefore, pediatricians pay such special attention to this - they weigh and measure the child every month without fail! In addition, it is also important to study the dynamics of such indicators as the circumference of the head and chest, because a violation of their ratio may indicate the beginning of the development of a pathological process (hydrocephalus, rickets, etc.). Therefore, the most correct and complete study of the physical development of the baby will be a measurement in the dynamics of growth, weight, head and chest circumference. I will give a table with normal indicators of these values in children under one year old.
Table of physical development of children up to a year (height, weight, head and chest circumference)
| Age indicators | Child's height | Baby weight | Head circumference | Chest circumference |
| Newborn | 50-51 cm | 3.3-3.5 kg | 34-36 cm | 32-34 cm |
| 1 month | 53-54 cm | 4.1-4.3 kg | 36.6-37.3 cm | 36.0-36.3 cm |
| 2 months | 56-58 cm | 5.0-5.3 kg | 38.4-39.0 cm | 38.1-39.0 cm |
| 3 months | 59-61 cm | 6.0-6.3 kg | 40.0-40.9 cm | 40.0-40.3 cm |
| 4 months | 62-64 cm | 6.5-6.9 kg | 40.0-41.9 cm | 41.8-42.0 cm |
| 5 months | 64-68 cm | 7.4-7.8 kg | 42.2-43.2 cm | 43.0-44.3 cm |
| 6 months | 66-70 cm | 8.0-8.7 kg | 43.2-44.2 cm | 44.3-45.5 cm |
| 7 months | 68-71 cm | 8.3-8.9 kg | 44.0-44.8 cm | 45.0-46.4 cm |
| 8 months | 70-72 cm | 8.5-9.5 kg | 44.3-45.4 cm | 46.0-47.2 cm |
| 9 months | 71-73 cm | 9.3-9.9 kg | 45.3-46.3 cm | 46.7-47.9 cm |
| 10 months | 72-74 cm | 9.5-10.4 kg | 45.6-46.6 cm | 47.0-48.3 cm |
| 11 months | 73-75 cm | 9.8-10.5 kg | 46.0-46.9 cm | 47.7-48.7 cm |
| 12 months | 74-76 cm | 10.1-10.7 kg | 46.0-47.2 cm | 47.7-49.0 cm |
Here it is worth considering the weight of the child at birth, the anatomical and constitutional features of the body structure and hereditary predisposition. So, the data of height and weight of the baby given by you, according to the given table, testify to its normal physiological development. All the best!
Marina asks:
My daughter is 8 years old, she weighs 34 kilograms, doctors say a lot, but they can’t advise me what to do.
Responsible Medical consultant of the health-ua.org portal:
Hello Marina! Unfortunately, you did not indicate the height of the child. For an 8-year-old girl, normal body weight is calculated using the formula P x 0.42-29.9, where P is height in cm. If the calculations showed that the girl is overweight, follow these recommendations:
- Nutrition: eating vegetables and fruits with high fiber content, set 4-5 single meal; the last meal at 17-18 hours, later - only milk or sour-milk products; reduce the consumption of flour, confectionery products, cereals, sweets; exclude the consumption of spices, spices and carbonated drinks; fight food in a hurry and dry food; teach your child to drink more water (especially before meals), weight loss foods: cucumbers, tomatoes, beets, cabbage - fresh;
- active lifestyle, sports, outdoor walks, hardening;
- in the absence of effect - consultation of a pediatric endocrinologist.
Take care of your health!
Natalia asks:
Please tell me my daughter is 1.8, height 85cm, and weight 14,200. Tell me how to properly feed the child so as not to gain weight, since according to the tables, her weight should be 12 kg
Responsible Medical consultant of the health-ua.org portal:
Good afternoon.
To begin with, I would like to note that the weight and height correspondence tables carry average statistical data. When determining the norm of weight for a particular child, one should also take into account constitutional features, for example, heredity.
The child's diet should be balanced, varied, include cereals, meat, fish, vegetables, fruits. Train your child by 4 one-time regime nutrition, so that he receives a full breakfast, lunch, dinner, afternoon snack should be light. Avoid snacking between meals. Remove starchy, sweet foods from the diet as much as possible, teach your child to eat fruits.
Be sure to remember about the child's motor activity, even if the child is calm, then exercises, walks on the street, outdoor games must become a habit.
Be healthy.
Responsible Medical consultant of the health-ua.org portal:
Good afternoon.
Considering the data of the centile tables, the weight of your child is above average, but constitutional features should also be taken into account. To correct the weight of the child, it is necessary to analyze the nutrition of the child, motor activity to exclude hormonal disorders. To get started, contact your pediatrician and endocrinologist for examination and laboratory tests to exclude diseases in which there is increased body weight.
Optimal for this age is 4 meals a day, excluding snacks (especially sweet and starchy foods). With increased body weight, focus on vegetables, not forgetting meat and fish. Reduce the amount of cereals, but do not exclude them, as they contain vitamins and other useful substances that the child needs. Replace cookies and sweets with dried fruits. You need to pay attention to the nutrition of the family as a whole, because if dad eats a chocolate bar, then it will be hard for the child to explain why he can’t.
Teach your child to exercise, walks and outdoor games.
All the best.
Olga asks:
My parents are fat, and I have been on diets all my life so as not to lose shape. Now I have a girl (she is 6 months old), her weight is normal now, but I am afraid that she will not suffer like I do. Tell me what can be done to prevent obesity, and when is it right to start it?
Responsible Medical consultant of the health-ua.org portal:
Good afternoon, Olga!
The hereditary predisposition to gaining excess weight is indeed traceable, but sometimes it is also confused with the food culture in the family (heavy feasts, a lot of fatty foods, pastries, etc.). In addition, obesity may be the result of certain diseases, which may also tend to be inherited (pathology of the endocrine glands, etc.).
Find out the cause of fullness specifically in yourself and close relatives, and it will be easier for you to deal with it, and you will also be able to purposefully carry out preventive measures. So, it is necessary to monitor normal weight already from infancy.
Prevention of obesity is breastfeeding and late introduction of complementary foods (not earlier than 6 months). In the future, teach your baby to an active lifestyle - maximum physical activity and stay in the fresh air. Avoid stressful situations in the family and try to always be balanced when communicating with the baby.
And now about nutrition. Teaching a child to a diet is fundamentally wrong. But to instill a culture of right and balanced nutrition it is necessary from early childhood and better by example. An intensively growing organism must receive in sufficient quantities the required amount of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. Here are a few specific examples: the daily diet should consist of lean meats, fish, eggs, dairy products, cereals, vegetables and fruits. Limit the consumption of beef, pork, lamb fat, butter, pasta, confectionery. Small "snacks" that children love so much should consist of fruits, yogurts, crackers, jellies, etc., and not chocolates, chips, etc.
More detailed recommendations can be given to you by your doctor on an individual basis. All the best!
Natalia asks:
My daughter is 8 years old, height 142, weight 42 kg, is she overweight. Thank you
Responsible Medical consultant of the health-ua.org portal:
Hello Natalia! In the vast majority of cases, overweight in children is associated with malnutrition and physical inactivity (lack of mobility). So start organizing proper diet for your child: limit sweets, baked goods and confectionery, fatty, salty, smoked, fried foods, exclude semolina, chips, snacks and chocolate bars; increase the consumption of vegetables, fruits, berries; give your child milk and dairy products regularly. Forbid the child to sit in front of the TV or at the computer for a long time - let the girl spend most of her free time in motion - sign her up for dancing or in the sports section. All these recommendations are applicable if, in addition to being overweight, the child does not have serious diseases. To exclude them, you need to consult a pediatrician and a pediatric endocrinologist. Take care of your health!
Lena asks:
Good afternoon! My son gained almost 2 kg in two months of life. The doctor says that this is a lot and you need to feed less, otherwise there will be obesity. Is there obesity in infants and what should I do? Thank you.
Responsible Medical consultant of the health-ua.org portal:
Hello Lena! In medicine, there are special tables and formulas with the help of which the optimal weight and its increase for children are calculated.
You do not indicate how many months the baby is, and therefore it is difficult for me to determine 2 kg - is it really a lot or a little. So, normal weight gain in children of the first year of life is considered to be as follows: for 1 month - 600 g, 2-3 months - 750 g each, then 3-6 months - 700 g each, at 6-9 months - 550 g each and in 9-12 months for 350 g.
Please note that these are average data that require individual correction. Obesity in infancy is quite rare and is usually mild. The main reason for increased weight gain is the usual overfeeding of the child, especially if carbohydrate foods predominate in the baby's diet.
It must be said that children in artificial feeding more susceptible to the possibility of excess fat. An important role is played by the constitutional type of body structure, hereditary predisposition, and most importantly, the presence of certain pathological conditions in the body.
I say “most important” because the main thing here is not to miss the disease at the very early stage of its development.
Thus, a number of hereditary diseases, disorders in the functioning of the thyroid and other endocrine glands, diseases of the brain can be manifested by a sharp and unreasonable weight gain. Therefore, without fail, consult with an endocrinologist and a neuropathologist. The pediatrician will select the optimal diet for your baby and determine the required amount of food taken. Also, the doctor should give individual recommendations on ways to control weight, and introduce measures for its correction. All the best!
Dmitry asks:
Good afternoon! My nephew is very fat. I can’t say for sure neither weight nor height, but even outwardly I see that he is obese. Poor parents put him on a diet and forced him to run, but real results never received it. I insist on consulting a doctor, but they do not listen to me. Tell me, can the disease be the cause of fullness, and which specialist should I go to? Thank you.
Responsible Medical consultant of the health-ua.org portal:
Hello Dmitry!
Obesity is a disease that only a specialist should treat. And even if the extra pounds did not appear as a result of any disturbances in the body, but were the result of a banal overeating, all the same, the struggle for normalization of weight should take place under the supervision of a specialist. It must be pointed out that although primary alimentary obesity (developed due to increased calorie intake with minimal consumption of them) is much more common among obese people, one should not forget about those situations when the disease internal organs served as an impetus for weight gain.
So, obesity can develop as a result of: pathology of the endocrine system (diseases of the thyroid gland, adrenal glands, ovaries, etc.), digestive tract (pancreas, liver, small and large intestines), metabolic disorders (diabetes mellitus), central nervous system and genetic disorders. Therefore, to find out the true cause of excessive fat deposition, you may need a complete comprehensive examination: consultation with an endocrinologist, neuropathologist, gastroenterologist and genetics. In addition, sometimes prolonged psycho-emotional stress and stress can contribute to weight gain. In this case, a psychotherapist can help. :
Good afternoon!
Obesity is a multifactorial disease with many causes, and they can be quite different in nature. So, the deposition of an excessive amount of adipose tissue in childhood may be associated with:
- excessive food intake (when the diet is dominated by high-calorie foods containing a large amount of fats and carbohydrates),
- with a sedentary lifestyle (this issue is especially relevant in modern world, since many children prefer to spend time at the computer or in front of the TV),
- diseases of the endocrine system (thyroid gland, adrenal glands, etc.),
- genetic diseases (Down syndrome, Prader-Viliya syndrome, etc.),
- damage to the central nervous system: after a head injury (concussion, brain contusion, increased intracranial pressure, etc.), inflammatory processes(encephalitis, meningitis, etc.), vascular accidents (rupture of an aneurysm, etc.), oncological processes,
- pathological processes in the pituitary gland (inflammatory, vascular pathologies, as well as neoplasms). January 28, 2013
Responsible Medical consultant of the health-ua.org portal:
Good afternoon!
Obesity is a special pathological condition in which there is an excessive deposition of adipose tissue. This can be a consequence of both banal overeating and physical inactivity, and be a manifestation of certain diseases (endocrine, neurogenic, impaired metabolic processes, pathology gastrointestinal tract etc.), as well as have a genetic predisposition. And the mechanism, accordingly, varies in each specific variant of the disease. So, there were even cases when a child was already born with an excess of adipocytes (this is the name of fat cells).
It is believed that if one of the parents is obese, then the risk of having excessive body weight in the offspring is about 30%. And now directly about the process of growth and reproduction of fat cells. In childhood, the number of fat cells from birth increases in two stages - in early childhood and during puberty (this process is strictly hereditary).
After a child reaches adolescence and further throughout life, the number of fat cells remains unchanged, although they can significantly increase in size (several tens or hundreds of times). Therefore, children can get better both by increasing the total number of cells, and by increasing the size of each of them, but adults gain weight only with the accumulation of fat deposits in the cell with their number unchanged. All the best! - determination of body mass index (BMI, Quetelet index) - the ratio of the child's weight (in kilograms) to the square of height (in meters). Body weight is treated as normal if the indicator is 25-29.9. If the index is more than 30, then such a condition is considered obese (30-35 - obesity of the first degree, 35-40 - obesity of the second degree, 40 or more - obesity of the third degree),
- determination of Broca's index (can be used only with a height of 155-170 cm),
- definition of the Bornhardt index,
- definition of the Davenport index,
- determination of the nature of the distribution of fat in the body: the ratio of the lengths of the circumferences of the waist and hips (FROM / OB),
- determination of the percentage of adipose tissue in the body (by weighing in water, measuring the electrical resistance of tissues, etc.),
- determination of the nature of fat deposition (tomography of the abdominal region).
The most universal and, therefore, widely used in practice is the determination of the Quetelet index - it allows you to objectively assess the presence or absence of excess weight, and, moreover, to determine the degree of obesity. All the best!
Tatyana asks:
My daughter is 16 years old. She is chubby, she became very worried about this. What would you recommend for her to lose weight? I heard that there are special diet pills, tell me which ones are better?
Responsible Lobas Ekaterina Vladimirovna:
The sooner she starts sticking healthy lifestyle life, the better it will be for her health in the future. Just do it wisely. You must teach her to control her eating habits: review her daily diet, count how many calories she consumes per day. Gradually move to calorie 1600 kcal / day. You only need to enter the diet for 2 to 4 weeks and it must be balanced in all major groups (proteins, fats, carbohydrates, trace elements and vitamins). Add in a regular gym session and swimming pool - this will help her burn calories faster, and significantly improve the result. And drugs for weight loss are recommended from the age of 18. Therefore, the only thing left is diet and sports!
Mothers of babies often proudly tell friends and relatives how well the baby is gaining weight after birth - pediatricians look at special tables and rejoice at the introduction of complementary foods on time, touching babies with plump pink cheeks and with handles in constrictions look at us from children's advertisements.
Meanwhile, the problem of excess weight is a real threat to the health of the child. How to determine the moment when it is time to stop touching and face the truth? At what age should you worry about counting calories and what to do if it is already obvious that the lack of action - on the part of parents, of course, in the first place - will very quickly crush your beloved little man with a non-childish burden of illness? How to protect a child from possible problems in relationships with peers?
What do the statistics say?
The situation is not too happy - statistics show that every sixth child on the planet between the ages of 2 and 19 has some amount of excess weight, with which something can and must be done. And the same statistics claim that most mothers and fathers refuse to understand and accept the extent of the problem, even if information about the overweight of the child is presented to them in plain text: only 23% of parents immediately agree to help their offspring, while the rest prefer to pretend that the problem does not exist at all.
Many parents tend to feel guilty when it becomes clear that the child needs help: society places the responsibility for being overweight on them. But it is obvious, and research confirms this, that it is often a matter of specific features development of the child himself, his metabolism and eating habits, which are sometimes very difficult for parents to influence. In any case, you need to start by identifying excess weight as a fact.
How do you know if a child is overweight?
To begin with, it makes sense to consult the same children's weight and age correspondence tables - it is better to take those that the WHO uses, they have a very wide “fork” of the norm, tied to a certain age up to adolescence. If the child falls into the standard - even at its upper limit - therefore, you should not worry too much, but if you are worried about being overweight, it makes sense to limit some products and increase sports loads - more on that below.
If the weight exceeds allowable norms, it is worth talking about the presence of one degree or another of obesity - and then the solution to the problem definitely should not be shelved. Of course, the most reasonable thing to do would be to consult a pediatrician first, and then a nutritionist. Already according to their recommendations it will be clear what to do next.
What will a competent doctor do?
A correctly chosen specialist will be able to accurately determine how serious the existing problem is and whether it exists at all - he will calculate the child's body mass index, compare it with the existing table, carefully study the history of the development and growth of the child, evaluate family history and information about the physique of ancestors.
Only after that will a verdict be received on whether there is a problem of excess weight, how serious the situation is and what, in fact, to do with it. Perhaps, in order to clarify the full picture, the doctor will write out referrals to other highly specialized specialists in order to clarify incomprehensible questions. If, despite the fact that the child is very ahead of his peers in weight and height, his development will not cause any doubts, he will send the whole family to grow in health and further with a clear conscience.
What is the danger of being overweight?
Excess kilograms are not only aesthetic problems and possible difficulties in communicating with peers, for example, in active games. It is also a row possible complications with health. We list the most common.
type 2 diabetes
This is a chronic disease associated with a failure in the processing of sugar - glucose. One of the most simple ways to earn it at an early age is obesity and a sedentary lifestyle.
metabolic syndrome
This is a complex of physiological problems that dramatically increase the possibility of developing cardiovascular diseases and ailments associated with metabolic disorders.
high cholesterol
Cholesterol impairs blood flow by creating plaque in the arteries. This can cause heart attacks and strokes in the indefinite future.
Asthma
Here the reason is not entirely clear, but the relationship is well established: overweight children are at risk of developing asthma for no other apparent reason. As soon as the problem of excess weight is eliminated, the threat of asthma, as a rule, disappears.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
The disease is dangerous because the accumulation of fat in the liver is asymptomatic - neither the parents, nor even the child himself have time to notice that the situation is close in its picture to the classic cirrhosis of the liver - then it is much more difficult to act than to try to prevent the disease.
Why do children get overweight?
There is no single answer. The situation is more or less clear when both parents and children are overweight - then we can talk about unhealthy family eating habits, love for fast food and inattention to physical activity. You can include in the overall picture and genetic predisposition.
But it also happens that a child of fit and slender parents is clearly overweight, other children in in perfect order, are slim and healthy, and one of the children is clearly with problems. Recognizing the difficulties in establishing clear and distinct boundaries and causes of overweight, doctors speak with more or less caution about the following factors.
Unbalanced diet
In other words, the same ill-fated fast food, constant snacking on the go, and addiction to factory-made sweets (including drinks, among which, by the way, fruit juice, which is actively sold under the sign of “healthy and natural”).
lack of movement
Everything is obvious and simple here: how much energy comes in, so much should be spent. Lack of physical activity very quickly leads to an increase in extra pounds and centimeters.
Psychological factors
Children, just like adults, often “seize” real or imagined problems. “Sweeten” your gray or boring and dull life - the right way earn more more problems, and they will certainly be completely real.
Socio-economic factors
The lack of funds in the family budget, unfortunately, drastically limits access to fresh vegetables and fruits and vitamins, but it forces parents to buy the cheapest - and often the poorest quality - sweets in order to somehow please the baby.
What should I do if my child is overweight?
As a basis, it is best to take a list of actions that a specialist will advise a particular child after a full examination and study of all the reasons. If there are no other indications and contraindications that require special correction, the actions may be as follows.
Do not give your child sugary drinks - we are talking about carbonated factory sweet waters and fruit "juices". It is best to switch to freshly squeezed juices without sugar, fruit drinks and compotes.
Try to feed your child as many vegetables and fruits as possible - be prepared that it will take some time to adapt to new eating habits.
Try to have lunch or dinner with the whole family at least once a day - at this time, remove gadgets from your field of vision, turn off the TV and enjoy not only food, but also full communication with each other.
Limit the number of snacks - and carefully follow this rule. Children are sometimes much more inventive than we think.
Find the right type of exercise for the whole family - dancing or swimming, for example, are great for those who do not want to play serious sports.
