Tandem doctor visits - 18 mo & 3 years

In December, the each of the boys went to the doctor for a well child visit. This time, I made separate appointments since I learned last year that making them for the same day is a terrible idea. Something else I've learned about doctor visits? NEVER make a well child visit for a Friday. All of the sick kids get seen before you and there are a lot of sick children on Fridays since parents are trying to get their kids seen before the weekend. I've been that parent, so I don't wish them any ill will, mind you, I just need to learn to skip the Friday appointments. Live and learn.

Anyway. Here are their stats:

Johnny
Weight: 36 lbs - 86th percentile
Height: 39 inches - 79th percentile

Hank
Weight: 29 lbs, 6 oz - 95th percentile
Height: 35 inches - 100th percentile (as the doctor said, "No one is taller than him." Silly statistics.)

Basically Hank is still a tank and is catching up to his brother faster than Johnny would like, I'm sure. What I found interesting about this visit is that the doctor calculated Johnny's BMI and compared it to national averages for the first time. I'm not sure how I feel about such a loaded statistic making its way into well child visits so early in life. I mean, Johnny is 3. He's been on this planet for a mere 3 years and we're already going to start telling him he's fat compared to other kids his age? (He's not, he's actually perfectly average.) I just.... I don't know. It seems like a silly thing to worry about at this stage. I already get grilled about his eating habits and the doctor gives me further nutritional information for this age, so why do we need to add yet another statistic to worry about? I already obsess over the fact that he will only eat vegetables if I have refused to give him food or water for three days and it's the only food available in the house (just kidding), so why tack on another piece of statistical data that is pretty open to speculation?

When I was in college, I did a BMI test with calipers and another one based on just height and weight information. According to the height and weight calculation, I was overweight. According to the more specific caliper calculation, I was totally normal, and maybe a tad underweight for my height. Which makes sense because in college I was pretty much all muscle; that's not something a simple BMI calc takes into consideration.

I guess what I'm saying is that I understand this total freak out over childhood obesity, but adding another statistic that can be totally skewed and therefore, meaningless, is not particularly helpful. It probably just freaks parents out even more and gives them yet another thing to try to "fix" about their child.

Anyway. Rant over.

The boys were awesome at the doctor, but I'm glad I don't have to go back until June. :)