92Nd Percentile Weight

Run him around a lot.
Take a look at the possible junk food in his diet that you could eliminate (soda, chips, etc).

Well, my 11 year old is about 55 pounds and around 4'6". We grow 'em really small in our house.

Percentile isn't what is important as much as whether he is following a consistent arc in his developmental chart. Has he always been around the 90th? Or has there been a sudden spike in the past year? My kids are on the other end of the spectrum, but I'm always told as long as they're consistently in that range, it's okay.

I think what matters is that the height and weight percentiles match up reasonably well (both in the 90th are ok, but a 90th in weight and a 25th in height may not be, or a 25th in weight and a 90th in height may not be, for example). And both should be progressing at a similar rate.

Just make sure that sugary drinks aren't what your son drinks on a regular basis. Water is for drinking. Sodas are for a treat at the baseball game or an occasional picnic. Have healthy snacks readily available: a bowl of washed and sliced grapes and strawberries in the fridge, a plate of carrot sticks and homemade ranch dressing (not from the sugary powdered mix that is heavily advertised) on the table after school, and fresh fruits after dinner instead of cookies. Don't ban all the sweet stuff, just make it a treat, not a routine. Don't use bottled salad dressings or anything that comes from an envelope (taco seasoning, meatloaf seasoning, etc). There are very simple recipes for making your own bulk mixes that don't contain sugar. Learn all the ways that sugars are hidden in processed and packaged foods (there are lists online that contain over 50 ways that manufacturers can list "sugar" as an ingredient but not call it sugar). Don't substitute artificial sweeteners. Simplify your food choices and take walks together.

My kids height and weight were, give or take one or two, the same percentile so I was told not to worry. Sans the youngest they were all around 95 percentile, they are tall, ya know?

So if there is a huge gap you may want to be concerned but otherwise don't sweat it.

I would simply say not to focus on weight, but to make sure you have outlets for him to get physical activity every day. That can be going to the park every day or, when you are in NY, it's winter, and you're expecting, that might mean enrolling him in Tae Kwon Do. Whatever works for your family.

my children are 50% or less, dd is currently about 10%.. that being said the nutritionist told us to put butter on her bread, add butter or cheese to her veggies, have her drink whole milk and consume lot of healthy calories and fats (like avocado).
so in your case i would stop using butter for as many things as you can, cut out refined sugars. and if you do have your child drink milk have it be 1% or skim. up the water intake and only buy healthy snacks, (carrots and dip, apples and yogurt etc) just because something says "fat free" does not mean that its good for you.

My son was in the upper 90th percentiles for height and weight, from almost day 1. The thing was he didn't look as heavy as he was. I remember how solid he was, in fact one time a nurse went to pick him up at a checkup and made a "Huh!" sound at how heavy he was, and he said with a sigh, "I know". And he was NOT fat!! lol. Poor kiddo! Just super solid, like a ton of bricks.

Everyone is built differently. I'd keep him as active as possible, kick him outside whenever you can. If he is interested in sports that'd be a great route to go. Other than that I would not stress about it. Make sure snacks are healthy, what you cook is on the healthier side, which I'm sure you already do- and as everyone else has said, just keep an eye on him. Good luck!

Just keep an eye on him. It is winter or soon will be and so he may have his "winter" insulation on him at the present time. Just try to keep him active and have him eat healthy things. If you guys can take a walk around a few blocks everyday that will help both of you with exercise and fresh air.

Remember, everybody's body is different and his genetic make up could be what is making him heavier. Is there or are there heavier people in the family? That may be where he is getting his solid build.

The other S.

PS I used to walk around the block when I was pregnant with my daughter in Quebec in the winter and it was cold but I was fine due to the insulation in my body.

He's probably ready for a growth spurt. Mine did at that age - just stretched right out.

What would be more important I would think is how his weight has been all along. Mine have always been in the 90th and up percentiles since birth, then it tapered off by school age and they averaged out.

If his weight has always been around the 90th percentile, I wouldn't be too concerned. If he went from 70 to 92 - then I might be more so.

I have one who's weight was higher than his height's percentile but that was before growth spurts. He was built like a little man - very solid but not overweight. I was actually happy to have a little meat on that one - he's the one who had allergies, etc. and more colds than the others.

Sweet tooths - we have those too. I just say it's a treat after the good stuff. That way at least they are not eating sweets because they are hungry.

Good luck :)

My 4 yr old weighed in this week at 53 pounds and is 44 inches tall. That put him in the 85th percentile. If you look at him, he is NOT heavy. It is actually great that he has put on some weight. He barely even has a tummy. The doc wants me to keep an eye on him since the "charts" say he is obese but looking at him you know he is not. We just need to make sure he eats his veggies, fruits and balance out the rest. And of course, with a child in this age group, keep him active (because if we don't he drives us up the wall).

ETA: I love reading others perspectives or experiences to these questions. Thinking about it, we never talked about BMI for my older kids. They are now 16. Now we look at BMI because they are older and reaching adulthood. But when they were little, they were in the 85 to 95 percentile and it was never a concern. I think it started when people actually started getting concerned about kids being overweight and inactive in the past few years. Before it was always, "oh, they are in the same range, great". My 7 yr old is 96th percentile on paper. Though she does have a tummy, she is not obese. I wonder what percentile some kids in my neighborhood are--cannot go above 100% right?. They wear adult clothes because no kid clothes will fit--and they are always getting junk food at the gas station.

Is he in any sports yet? Just keep him active- something like soccer where there is a lot of running around. I don't think you'll worry about it as he grows up if he is participating in some organized sports activities.

My husband and his brother are opposite body types and my BIL is a tank/big teddy bear. Growing up he was very active in baseball and football up til college. So his body type wasn't perfect but sports kept him healthy, social, and confident. Always tons of friends and girlfriends. Even now as a busy husband and father, when he works out and diets he can only get down "so much". He is just built that way.

I wouldn't worry about where your son shows up on the chart as long as you know you are feeding him a moderately healthy diet and keeping him active and social. (and he is making a consistent arc as other's have mentioned... unlike one of mine who fell off the bottom of the chart... opposite problem ;)

What exactly are they concerned about? He seems pretty proportionate, no? I'm no good at math, so I'm trying to picture 44" tall but I think it sounds like his height and weight are both on the higher side?? Does he have a sweet tooth, picky eater, etc.?

I would just say that you should make sure he gets plenty of exercise/outside physical time. My 6 y/o son has ALWAYS been in the 95-100% for both height and weight. He is a big kid but my pediatrician always says not to worry, he's growing, he's healthy, it will all work out. He's also a super picky eater and would eat junk all day long. I just try and explain that we have to balance our junk with protein and vitamins via fruits, etc. He doesn't really understand or care, but I figure if I keep repeating it then when he gets older he will hopefully have some knowledge on how to balance it all out! Plus, we walk to school every day and try to make times for bike rides, walks with the dogs, walks for fun, etc. multiple times during the week, even in the colder temps. I tell my kids that exercising keeps us healthy and keeps our heart in shape and our blood moving, etc. We are by no means a super fit/super healthy eating type of family, we just try and be realistic with ourselves and our kids about at least keeping their bodies moving and being conscious of trying to eat fruits and vegetables each day. So I guess that's my main suggestion, make sure he keeps his body moving and if he's already doing that, then I wouldn't worry. :)

I don't like the way they figure the BMI since humans are not a one size fits all. They never account for bone structure or muscle mass. As long as he is eating healthy and exercising (playing outside, riding a bike, etc.) then I wouldn't be overly concerned.

"Keep an eye on it" :-)

The simple fact of being at the 92nd percentile for weight isn't enough to indicate a problem. His height is around the 71st for his age. Percentiles don't have to match. Sometimes they do, usually they don't. The key is growth consistency and patterns. If he has always been 90/70ish, this is his normal.

Some kids put on weight - sometimes a lot, to the point it looks like a problem - before they have a growth spurt in height which evens things out again.

This is where 'keep an eye on it' comes in. It will take several months to a year of paying attention to see if he has a predictable pattern. Just follow the general guidelines for healthy living and don't worry overmuch.