Weight gain around 9 years of age common?

[ChocolateNummies]

My daughter has always been slim.  I've never worried about her weight.  She's active but is a picky eater so has to be encouraged to eat well.  In the past she's had periods during which she gained a little weight around her middle then would grow a couple of inches and slim down again.  This was her pattern, no big deal.

Over the last 6 months, though, she's gained a little weight and hasn't followed that up with a growth spurt - at least not yet.   I'm trying to decide how concerned I should be.  It's common to go through a "pudgy" stage as an older child/pre-teen, right?  My sister commented that she's built exactly how I was at that age, so maybe it's her genetics.

I only worry because she's getting pickier in her eating habits and it's getting harder to encourage her to eat well - meaning more veggies, fewer grains.  The holiday season certainly didn't help but, as a family, we're focusing on healthful foods again.  I just don't want to nag her too much and make an issue out of something that isn't. 

Just curious about others' experiences and hoping for some advice and/or reassurance.

[Llyra]

I have no direct experience, as my girls are still younger than that. However, I do know that one of the earliest changes that happens in puberty, for girls, is a change in body fat percentage and distribution. Could it be that your DD is just beginning the very early stages of puberty, and that the weight gain is related to that? 9 is a very common age for those first early signs to be starting.

[nextcommercial]

My daughter never did.  But, I do know that when we went to the back to school night for fourth grade, I was surprised by how many of the kids (mostly the boys) had rounded out in the faces and in the tummies.  

We live in Phoenix, so kids stay inside all summer.  I assumed it was just a long hot summer and there's not much to do but play gameboy and eat.  But, it seemed like most of the grade had put on some pounds.  

By sixth grade they were all long gangly lanky kids.  

[Cascadian]

I hope so. I have a a slim, tiny child.

[Alyantavid]

I think it's pretty common for all kids to put on a little weight around 9-10.  My son's almost 9 and has always been very thin.  He's not picky, he's just slim.  He's been eating tons and tons of food lately so I know he'll shoot up soon.  He never fills out, he just gets taller.

[mamazee]

Yeah, it's common to put on a little weight before the early stages of puberty.

[Tigerchild]

My DD just turned 9, but is well in to puberty (breast development, body fat redistribution, ect.)  Her weight has always been deceptive because she's very muscular BUT, at around 7.5 - 8, just before/beginnings of breast budding I did notice that while her legs were as long and skinny as they'd always been her pants were a little more tight around the middle.  This went on for about 6 months (far longer than her typical chunk up - sprout up pattern) until suddenly she grew almost 4 inches in a few months.  (now at 9, she is less than 1/2 inch from 5 feet tall, has a defined waist, ect.)  She is still growing quickly upward, but seems to have slowed down a little bit as her FEET now sprout out (two sizes in a month!!) LOL.  But I am a little sad because once she grew through her padding she's not gone back to the pattern--I just know she's grown when her pants and leggings are suddenly highwaters, no advance warning anymore.

Try not to obsess about it.  The truth is this is an extremely vulnerable time, esp. for girls.  I cannot tell you how many times I've already heard classmates and age cohorts of DDs (I'm really involved with her school, so I work with a ton of 3rd and 4th graders that trust me and have known me for years so they don't really censor what they say around me...yet) talk about being fat, ect.  It shocks me every time.  And to be honest, I think that at lot of them read the concerns between the lines--because I also know many many of the moms and I KNOW they would NEVER want to intentionally give their kiddo that message.

[karne]

Yes, extremely common, and in my experience, this lasts a few years.  My 12 y/o started this pattern around 9-10.  I'm not kidding when I say weekly we see changes in what fits and what doesn't fit.  She is solidly in juniors clothing as she's 5'3" right now.  There are times when I think dd just doesn't know what to make of all of the growing, which makes me very glad that she is so athletic.  Sports have been a great way to figure out and use all of this new height and strength.

[ChocolateNummies]

Thanks everyone.

Originally Posted by Tigerchild 
Try not to obsess about it.  The truth is this is an extremely vulnerable time, esp. for girls.  I cannot tell you how many times I've already heard classmates and age cohorts of DDs (I'm really involved with her school, so I work with a ton of 3rd and 4th graders that trust me and have known me for years so they don't really censor what they say around me...yet) talk about being fat, ect.  It shocks me every time.  And to be honest, I think that at lot of them read the concerns between the lines--because I also know many many of the moms and I KNOW they would NEVER want to intentionally give their kiddo that message.

I am really cautious about how I approach things with her.  She knows (I hope) we only care that she is healthy.  I've never spoken to her about weight other than in general terms of healthy lifestyles/diets keeping people healthy.  I distinctly remember the first time I ever felt fat at an even younger age than my dd .  It was an innocent enough comment by my friend's mom but it was the first time my body type had essentially been pointed out to set me apart from my friend who was super thin compared to my average kind of athletic build.  It must have just caught me at the wrong time becuz it's affected my body image ever since and I can still remember exactly everything that was going on at the time.  That experience has definitely colored the way I approach body image and weight with my children.

Anyway, I'm not so much worried about dd's weight as I would be that a change in her body fat would be an indication that we've gotten too far off track from a healthy, active lifestyle.  It doesn't mean we won't keep trying to encourage a healthy diet, of course, but it helps to know about common changes for this age.  Thanks again for the feedback. 

[mom2grrls]

My 9 y/o is going through the exact same thing right now so i'd say it's normal:)  my 12 y/o never really went through it but I see other girls in 9 y/o dd's class who look like she does now but were slimmer before.