Worried about hereditary issues for my children

My son is an awesome little guy. His name is Jackson. He is 10. I took him to the doctor yesterday for a sinus infection and walked out with a pamplet on healthy eating, labs to get done and a very  heavy heart. He is a big boy but I don't think he is fat. The nurse practioner checked his height and his weight. She said he was a tall boy for his age but felt his weight was in a dangerous range. Jackson is 5ft 2 and weighs 140lbs. Both of my kids have always been high in percentile their entire lives. My husband is 6ft. 5 and weighs about 225. He is not over weight. Just a big guy. I on the other hand ...it didn't matter what I ate I gained weight. It turns out I was insulin resistent, high blood pressure, high cholestoral, etc....which led me to gastric bypass. I have been very successful as far as I can tell on my journey but you can not run from heredity. I worry about my kids and their future. I strive to lead them to make healthy choices. We are working on portion control and choose this not that kind of stuff. Both of them roll their eyes when I get on my healthy soap box. I want both of them to have healthy self images. I struggle with how much is too much. There is a fine line between pushing and shoving! Anybody else deal with these issues in their kids?? I want what is best for them and wouldn't hurt their feelings for anything in the world.

I completely understand not wanting to hurt his feelings, but keeping him healthy is the most important thing.  

Since he is only 10,  I'm guessing you are in control of his meals and activities so just make things as healthy as possible for him.  I know quite a few guys who were chubby boys growing up but got taller and thinner in their high school years.  Since your DH is tall and your son is tall for his age, I'm guessing his weight will even out as he gets older.

 

Thanks Roz! I pray he will take after his Daddy. Time will tell I guess. He is willing to change so that is a plus. He is really a wonderful kid. I am so blessed to be his Mom. We got the blood work done this morning. The nurse said she will call me when it comes in. Jackson wants me to buy a bicycle and ride with him. Guess we will be getting that bike pretty soon.

I know you're doing a great job with Jackson.  Please trust your instincts!

My parents put me on lots of diets when I was a kid, and in a lot of ways, I think that this contributed to the eventual major weight gain I had as an adult.  I don't blame them, necessarily, but it seemed that I had a happy and positive self-image, and they were constantly reminding me that I shouldn't be happy with where I was.  Consequently, I never was able to enjoy my smallest size and lowest weights because I thought I was really fat.  

I think that the key is to emphasize lifestyle - living a healthy life in which pleasure doesn't revolve around food.  Diets feel like punishment.  A fun lifestyle which connects the joys of movement with the ability to bond with friends and family seem like the way to go with this, all the while quietly counting things out on his behalf.  

Anyway, my guess is that you already know exactly what to do.  Trust that - it's a gift!

I pray everyday that I make the right choices. I hope by the time we go back he is doing a little better. Guess time will tell. Thanks for always being so supportive!

I struggle with my 14 year old and her eating habits.  I ate the same way as a child and she is a very curvy girl she is 5'5" and 140 lbs so she is not overweight but she is on the high end of healthy.  This worries me and I find myself approaching this the same way my mother did at times.......and that isn't good.  I've decided that I will make healthy meals and she will be expected to eat that meal once a week she can choose the meal she wants.....she whines all week long and when she gets to choose her meal she whines then.......that's what they do......they are kids and they whine......lol  I'm hoping that after the gym is put into the home she will develop an interest.....I am probably reaching....I think if we just create that lifestyle for them without over emphasizing it or pushing it they will eventually evolve into a healthy adult who just grew up that way.......IMO 

If you really want to see where your children stands try this Pediatric BMI calculator.....it seems acurate to me for my 14 year old.......for my 3 yr old they put her at obese.....and she is far from it...she is VERY muscular and in the 95th% for height and weight on the growth charts.....that to me tells me she is perfect but tall and proportioned for a 3.5 yr old!.....
I think when we look at our children we need to understand that thier bodies are ALWAYS changing especially when they are pre-pubecent.....

kidshealth.org/parent/growth/growth/bmi_charts.html

Keep being the good parent you know you are......
Heather

Thanks for the kids bmi chart it was really helpful. It is true to the way he has always grown in the 95th percentile on everything. He was born that way so it seems. I will be referring back to this alot . Thanks a bunch.

After my initial consultation with my surgeon, I sat down with my husband and kids and had a serious talk about the way I was going to have to eat and gave them a couple of days to decide if they wanted to change with me. I didn't want to force it on them, but explained the family histories of diabetes, high cholesterol and blood pressure, etc. and how healthy eating would benefit all of us. They all immediately jumped on board. I went into the kitchen with hefty bags and threw every single ounce of food away and we went to the store to start over. They eat like I do, slightly larger portions. At my girls' next checkup, they had both lost weight, which the pediatrician did not like, so I had to adjust their diet slightly (full fat cheeses and yogurt, etc). But for the most part, they all eat extremely healthy. Every couple of weeks they eat a happy meal or something when we get take-out sushi, but 9 times out of 10, it's the nutritous, balanced meals I cook. I believe I have set a great example for them that they will hopefully carry on the rest of their lives. I also believe I saved my husband's life. He lost over 130 pounds with our diet change and went from MO to slightly above normal.

My kids also see me working out, and tend to "play" on the weight bench, do push-ups, etc. My 7 year old daughter can do more pull-ups than any marine I have ever seen. They are involved in sports, and both want to train with me in the spring to run a 5K after watching a 10 year old beat me at my last race.

I picked up my daughter from dance tonight. She rode there with a friend. They stopped for dinner on the way. She said Mom here is your change. You would be proud. She said she ate a 4 piece kids meal with apples instead of fries and she didn't eat the dipping sauce cause it's just groose. I laughed. I thought is was so cute that she is trying to set a good example for her brother.
You should be very proud of all your accomplishments. We are getting there one day at a time.

As someone who feels all my weight problems started when I went on a diet at age 13, I am very adamantly against doing anything with children that causes them to diet before they are done growing.

My approach is that we need to teach them healthy eating habits and encourage them to be active but not focus on weight. I really don't think the BMI charts work for kids either and I'd never get fussed by a kid's weight based on a number. It would be based on their health and whether their weight was impacting their activities.