You may have read reports this week that schools are to tell parents if their children have weight problems. We look at what this means for you and your child, and at what you can do if your child is overweight.

What do we know already?

The number of children in the UK who are overweight has been going up for at least 10 years. Children who are overweight are often unhappy about their weight, and may be teased at school. They are also at risk of having health problems, both as children and when they grow up. People who are overweight have a higher chance of getting diabetes, heart disease and some cancers in later life.

The government is worried about what this might mean for the health of the nation, and for the health service. So the Department of Health decided four years ago to start weighing and measuring the height of children in junior school, at ages four to five (reception class) and 10 to 11 (year 6). It’s only by looking at both the height and weight of a child that you can work out whether he or she has weight problems.

Up to now, most parents only received the results if they had asked for them. But from September, some schools will send results to all parents whose children were measured. If parents don’t want their children to be measured, they can tell the school not to include their child in the measuring programme.

The results will be kept private and only sent to the child’s parents, through the post. The child’s teachers and the other children at school won’t know. The children themselves won’t be told the results when they are measured.

What will the results say?

The letters to parents will include the child’s height and weight. The letter will then say whether this suggests the child is:

• Underweight (weighs too little)
• At a healthy weight (about right)
• Overweight (weighs more than is healthy)
• Very overweight (weighs much more than is healthy).

If the child is not at a healthy weight, the parents will be told who to contact locally for help and advice.

What if I’m told my child is overweight?

It can be a shock to be told that your child weighs more than is healthy. You might feel angry and not agree that they are overweight. Or you may feel guilty that you didn’t notice your child’s weight problem. You’re not alone. Parents whose children are overweight often don’t realise they weigh more than they should.

To understand the results, it helps to know what they mean. Because children are constantly growing, there’s no single cut-off point to say how much they should weigh for their height. The measuring programme uses growth charts, which were developed from measurements of UK children in 1990, to say how their height and weight compares to other children of the same age and sex. Doctors use the same charts.

So if you are told that your child is overweight, it means their weight (in relation to their height) is much higher than for the average child of their age. It’s not about how they look, or how they compare to other children in their school or family. It’s based on average weights for the UK as a whole.

The letter you get with your child’s measurements should give you some advice about who to talk to, if your child is overweight. But you can always talk to your GP if you are worried about your child’s weight. He or she can check the measurements, and help you understand how serious the problem is. They can also help you decide how best to tackle it.

Should I put my child on a diet?

It’s best to get medical advice before changing your child’s diet. Some children don’t need to lose weight. They just need to keep their weight steady and stop putting weight on, so they ‘grow into’ a healthy weight as they get taller. Most doctors don’t recommend calorie-controlled or very restrictive diets for children.

Your child has the best chance of reaching a healthy weight if they eat a healthy, balanced diet, get plenty of exercise through their everyday activities, and learn to change bad habits into healthy ones.

Here are some tips that doctors often recommend for parents whose children need to reach a healthy weight:

• Make sure your child eats more vegetables and pieces of fruit, so they have less room for fatty or sugary food
• Avoid sugary drinks like cola and lemonade, which have lots of calories but aren’t filling
• Make sure your child eats a good breakfast every day, to help them avoid tempting high calorie snacks
• Restrict the amount of time your child spends watching television or using the computer
• Encourage more active play, like playing football, dancing, or playing on the swings
• Set healthy rules for the whole family, not just the child who has weight problems.

If your child is very overweight, he or she may need to take part in a special weight loss programme for children. These programmes can work well, but involve a lot of specialist support.

What should I do now?

If your child is in reception or year 6, you’ll need to decide whether to agree for them to be weighed and measured, and whether you want to know the results. Most parents say they do want to know, so any problems with their child’s weight can be picked up quickly. If you have any questions about how it will be done, you can talk to your child’s school.

Whatever the age of your child, if you are worried about their weight, make an appointment to see their GP. The GP can help find out whether there’s a problem.