Annoyed by WIC- a bit of a vent

[Norasmomma]

I was going to put this in nutrition, but I assume there are mommas here who go to WIC. I've never really had much of an issue with them until today. My DD who is almost 3 has and is in the top of the growth chart-duh I know this she's a head taller than most 3 y/o girls and yes she weighs more too-because she's bigger than they are.

My problem is the nutritionist lectured me about how she's in the upper percentiles, her BMI and a bunch of other BS stuff I really just whole-heatedly disagree with. She told me not to give her ranch dressing with veggies-I said I don't she eats my homemade caesar salad or plain veggies. She said to lower her starch intake, which she doesn't eat a boatload of potatoes. Give her water to drink-uh yeah that's predominately what she drinks, bla, bla, bla.....She's a nice lady and I know that's just what they have to do, but gosh why tell me that my DD being bigger than every kid is going to make her some obese adult(which I strongly disagree with). She then said something about trying to get her into this other bracket instead of where she is.

I was worried because I am pg and I am yes above weight for my own height, but so far I have been diligent and gained 5 lbs and I am 22 weeks along. I thought the weight "issues" would be mine, not my DD who is completely normal, I mean doesn't 100th percentile mean yes she is the biggest kid her age, but doesn't someone have to be the biggest and someone has to be the smallest? Also I don't get how her weight is at 90% her height is 75%-how does that make her height/weight 100%.

Ugh, I'm just annoyed.

[Super~Single~Mama]

Just smile and nod. You can't change your daughters size and neither can the WIC lady - at least not in a healthy way!

[Katwoman]

I can understand your annoyance. While we do have a huge problem as a society with too much weight we also have a huge problem with eating disorders. It's so sad that we can't strike a balance between those two things - in a healthy way. I'm glad you know better. I'm always afraid for the Mama's that are being guided that follow everything authority says to the letter.

[mamazee]

That's crazy. My daughter is 95% or higher for height, and 70% or there abouts for weight, and she's quite slim and no one has ever batted an eyelash or called her anything but slim. This is simple math. If she's 95% of height, than 70% on the weight chart is not overweight for that height. I can see why you're frustrated.

[funkymamajoy]

I have the same issue with my pedi (so far WIC hasn't mentioned it). My 4-year old is in the 50th percentile for height but the 80th percentile for weight. You can't see any fat on him, which the pedi even mentioned herself, but she's convinced that he's overweight. He has muscle definition already, but she jumped on us because his tv time is over 1 hour a day (its probably closer to 2 hours). Please, going from 2 hours to 1 hour of tv isn't going to change the fact that he is built like his ex-linebacker father.

[naupakamama]

BMI is completely ridiculous in adults, let alone children. It was originally meant to measure populations as a whole not a SINGLE person. For instance, mathematically, if you are over about 6'4'', there is no way to physically be skinny enough to not be obese. I am not that tall but very broad and I would not be alive if I weighed a small enough amount to be within normal range. My DD is also a head taller than kids her age (nearly 4) and is above 95th percentile for both height and weight. BUT you can tell by looking at her that she is well proportioned and certainly not "fat".

I was an athlete as a kid and had a lot of muscle (and was very tall). The angriest I ever saw my mom when I was growing up was when a nurse told me at 13 years old that I was overweight and needed to lose. I was toned and muscular!!! My mom came really really close to punching her and that is totally unlike my mom. This nurse was looking only at charts and not at ME. Who tells a very healthy 13 year old girl that she is overweight right as body issues are in full swing!!!!

So it is not just WIC I am afraid. We have dealt with this in my family our whole lives, because we have very broad, dense bones and weight more then anyone thinks.

[Norasmomma]

All of you make the exact points that I felt and actually I did say a few things about it.

My DD has always had muscle definition, she seriously had calf muscles as a small infant and people have always commented on her strength, even as a little baby. Her Dad is the biggest in his family and I am the biggest also, both of us have high muscle densities-her Daddy is a very broad shouldered large man. I also 100% disagree with BMI-I find it so completely BS, how can you compare someone with small build vs. a large frame build and expect their BMI to be anywhere remotely the same?! I do think that there are issues with childhood obesity and such, but when a child eats nutritious foods and is very active, well I just don't there is a problem.

It's also how it was approached, I hate the fact that it is just an assumption that all kids get ranch dressing with veggies or that all my DD must drink is juice(that really gets me since WIC shoves the juice in your face). Whatever I know my DD is healthy and bigger than the rest of the girls her age, she gets mistaken for 4 all the time and large kids just run in DH's family.

[sisteeesmama]

Yeah, that totally does suck, but when you put yourself through mainstream channels(and I get assistance so this is no judgement) then you do have to be ready to just smile and nod, IMO you're not going to change their minds or the system.....
My dd has always been in the 90percentile and I just haven;t taken her to the pedi or anything in over a year so I don't know what they would say but she is obviously slim, not at all overweight so if they said something like that to me it would get me PO'd, too.
<hugs>!

[heidirk]

Not all of them are alike. There's a girl in my WIC office who gives me a chance to impart some informtion to her every time I go. I have been able to give her some info about vax'ing and allergies, etc.

Hang in there momma! Just keep firm on what you know and don't entertain discussion about it, as she will see this as an opportunity to persuade you. and she obviously doesn't know what she's talking about, a weight in the 90th and height in the 75th are not a great enough disparity to cause concern. (or shouldn't be)

The issue of the combined score producing 100 percent is because it's not an average. It's a different scale, so your daughter is both heavier and taller than almost all other 3 year olds.


She should meet my son, they can start a race of giants!

[OkiMom]

The person at WIC tried to make a comment about DD's weight once (shes two and huge but no fat, just muscle) and I smiled and told her that it was nice that she thought so but DD"s doctor just told me how wonderful it was to see such a healthy child. When you bring the child's doctor into the conversation it tends to shut them up (hehe, my doctor told me to just use his name in vain if WIC gave me a hard time so I did it with permission, he thinks WIC "nutrition" isn't the best).

[Norasmomma]

Oh she's nice enough-this is a new thing meeting with the nutritionist. I think it has to do with their new food changes that are happening and some other things. I honestly don't really give a rats patooty-it just was annoying.

I know that my DD is totally fine and healthy. I find it so funny that it was her she said something about and not me. So weird.

[Beckamomof4]

This is the EXACT reason why, when I was on WIC, I did not let them TOUCH my kid! They were there to give food (and formula, whole other story!) and that was that. My kids DOCTOR was the one who weighed/measured him, gave him shots, etc... I refused to let them even near him! (Sorry, don't really trust their needles...you never know!) not even to take iron levels. If they wanted them, I would go to his doctor and give the results to them.

I am sorry you had to go through that! I really think they believe they are God!

[Polliwog]

Originally Posted by Norasmomma

Oh she's nice enough-this is a new thing meeting with the nutritionist. I think it has to do with their new food changes that are happening and some other things. I honestly don't really give a rats patooty-it just was annoying.

I know that my DD is totally fine and healthy. I find it so funny that it was her she said something about and not me. So weird.

Actually, you should have been meeting with a nutritionist at least once every three months.

[Norasmomma]

Originally Posted by Polliwog

Actually, you should have been meeting with a nutritionist at least once every three months.

Well I have been doing the regular check up meeting with the WIC person with the nutritional analysis, this lady is a new dietician/nutritionist/lactation consultant. They also have a whole new set of question/answer system in place. I've been on WIC for 3 years-there are changes being made right now. This is a whole new system that is getting implemented in our state(new computers, new questions, new people). Trust me this is a completely new thing that is being done, she's only been there since my last appt.

[Proudmomoftwinsplusone]

just nod and smile. thats what i always do.

[Cinder]

Originally Posted by mamazee

That's crazy. My daughter is 95% or higher for height, and 70% or there abouts for weight, and she's quite slim and no one has ever batted an eyelash or called her anything but slim. This is simple math. If she's 95% of height, than 70% on the weight chart is not overweight for that height. I can see why you're frustrated.

I think she said her daughter is the opposite, 90% for weight, 75th% for height...but, anyway...

I don't believe toddlers, if given healthy foods and allowed to act like toddlers, can be overweight...just my opinion...just like I don't think my kids have issues even though my 6 year olds bmi is under the 3rd% and she is "underweight"...the only way I could make her gain weight is to refuse to let her excercise and replace her water with pop or something, it's just the size she is meant to be!

[amandaleigh37]

I don't blame you one bit for being annoyed. But keep in mind that even though your DD may be healthy (and obviously it sounds like it since you feed her veggies to begin with!) they likely deal with many clients who feed their kid complete junk. So her suggestions were not appropriate for you, but may have been for someone else. They probably don't know you very well from the hundreds(?) of other clients they have, and just look at the "numbers" and go from there. I definitely don't agree that we should be so worried about kids being "obese" or even "overweight", but healthy suggestions to eat right and keep kids active aren't harmful, just annoying to those of us who already live that way I know each office and employee is different but I like to believe that most of them have good intentions. I agree with the "just smile and nod" suggestion

[THBVsMommy]

My son has been in the 100th percentile since he was just a couple months old. He hit 20 lbs at 4 mos! I actually did worry slightly that this would affect him because he was such a big baby, but his weight has really leveled out. Yes, he's still bigger than most.. He just turned 3 in April and is 42 lbs and 42 inches tall. He's bigger than all 4 year olds that I know, and even some 5 year olds as well! But, it would be different if he was bigger just in the weight department.. the fact that he towers over other kids his age and older confirms that I just am going to have a really tall, healthy boy.

[JamesMama]

I think with WIC they punch in the #'s and then spout off with the same old tired line.

My ds is skinny. I know this, it's a little thing called GENETICS (DH is 5ft9in weighs 125lbs, BIL1 is 6ft2in weighs 130lbs soaking wet, BIL2 is 6ft4in weighs 140lbs, my dad wrestled under 90lbs in HIGH SCHOOL, I weighed 42lbs in 2nd grade...I remember this because I was the 'test subject' when we talked about Guness because I weighed LESS than the worlds fattest cat) DH's family (aside from DH) is TALL and SKINNY. It's just the way we are. Yet they lectured me about making sure he eats this and that and blah blah blah. At the same time I'm banned from buying milk higher than 1%...so go figure that one.

They have the same party line for weight, they don't listen to a word you say about diet or activity level or genetics.

Don't let it bug you.

[Magali]

I think the BMI is bs. It must be my obesity clouding my thinking. If only I could get back down to an acceptable weight and reclaim my senses.