A mum has sparked a huge debate online after fretting over her two-year-old daughter's weight.
The worried mum admitted on a parenting forum that she is panic-stricken that her daughter is overweight after a recent visit to the doctors revealed her BMI is classed as 'obese'.
She explained on Mumsnet: ‘My daughter is 2 years old. We recently measured her for fun to mark on the door frame. Then she went into hospital with croup and they weighed her to work out how much medication to give her.
‘I put the information into a BMI calculator, which said that she is obese. Since moving onto solids she has always had a very healthy appetite and will eat pretty much whatever she's given. Because she has always eaten big meals I have never given her any snacks in between.
‘She is never given cake, crisps, biscuits etc. unless we're at a party etc. I have asked the nurse and staff at her nursery about her weight and they have all said that she doesn't appear overweight at all and that the BMI is not a good measure for younger children.
‘I have struggled with my weight over the years and don't want to pass my anxieties on to her. Similarly I don't want to set her up with a weight problem. She is very active and constantly on the go, but I do worry about how much she eats and wonder how much she would eat if we didn't monitor her portion sizes.’
Some parents were quick to suggest that the mum should ignore the BMI calculator and reassure her that her daughter sounds healthy, while others lambasted the mum for 'projecting' her own issues with food onto her daughter.
One said: 'The BMI calculator is s*** for children, so I doubt your daughter is overweight. She's 2. Leave her be. As long as you feed her healthy food and she's active it's fine.’
Another commented: ‘Your daughter sounds perfectly healthy, nothing wrong with not offering snacks if she doesn't need them but I don't think she's overeating at all.’
A third added: 'The BMI isn’t a reliable measure for such a young child, ask a professional about her weight. It already seems you are projecting your issues onto her, going by your mention of your own struggles and that you listed exactly what your daughter ate.'
While a fourth moaned: ‘Sorry but you are the one with the problem. You have a disordered attitude towards eating. Please get help before you pass it on to your DD [darling daughter].
'And also please bear in mind that we still live in a culture which has a particularly toxic attitude towards women and girls with regard to food: they should eat less than they want and must be thin. Don't starve your DD. The BMI is utter nonsense.’
