Raising concerns Ade had been attending nursery for 6 months. Aged 2 years 6 months, she was noticeably overweight. Her clothes never fitted her well – trousers were either far too long and rolled up...

Raising concerns

Ade had been attending nursery for 6 months. Aged 2 years 6 months, she was noticeably overweight. Her clothes never fitted her well – trousers were either far too long and rolled up or very tight around her waist, making her uncomfortable. She avoided outdoor play and indoor physical activities, but on the occasions when she did run, she would quickly become exhausted and would sometimes say her knees were hurting. Ade’s mother and father were both very loving towards her. Her father was himself overweight. After discussion at a staff meeting, Ade’s key person – who was very experienced – spoke to Ade’s mum. The key person was told that Ade’s weight, and her dad’s weight, were due to genetic factors and that the family all ate healthily. Three months later, the nursery’s SENCO felt that Ade was noticeably missing out in nursery and reopened discussions. She met with both parents. Ade’s key person explained how Ade often felt left out of games with her friends and that her clothes often hampered her. The parents explained that they could not fi nd clothes to fi t her properly. The SENCO asked if she could contact the health visitor for further advice, which the parents agreed to. The health visitor met with the parents and explained that there was a special service locally for overweight children. She said that Ade and the family would be given extra help, and that Ade would not be put on a diet and expected to lose weight. Instead, the emphasis would be on eating healthily, being more active, and keeping her weight stable, so that as she grew, her body mass index (BMI) would reduce. She also explained that the weight on Ade’s knees was already causing her discomfort, and that further ill health might follow. Over the next year, Ade’s weight remained about the same. The family changed some of their eating habits, and organized to go swimming together once a week and started walking to nursery. Some clothes for 3- year olds were found that were a reasonable fi t for her, and, with encouragement, she started using the nursery bikes. The health visitor and paediatric dietician were very pleased with Ade’s progress, and predicted that within a couple of years her weight would be within the usual range. When Ade left for Reception, her parents said that they could not have helped Ade without the help and support of the nursery.