overweight kids

mfkfoster

12 is a tough time for girls they are starting to hit puberty. Your hormones go all crazy to get ready and the pounds sometimes pack on. I would just try to set a good example and ask her to going "shopping" with you at the mall or even grocery shopping and make sure you go up and down every aisle. It's walking! I know that sometimes kids can be picky eaters so try to get more veggies and fruit into her. Sneak them if you have to. I do for my daughter. She hates veggies but she loves her spinach brownies! He He:blushing: Also try to get more fiber in her diet. Fiber fills you up and helps with weight loss. I wouldn't really worry too much. Just keep and eye on her and try to encourage some activity. Band is a great activity! When she's playing she can't eat!

Boooie

When one of my kids was that age she was worried about her weight and id say she was bigger then your daughter,she asked for me to help her so i thought it best to take her to the drs and get there advice as what is best to do, he wouldn't do anything to help. As he said at that age they are beginning to deal with hormones kicking in etc and that child's body needs that extra fuel in it , so he told me to come back with her once shes 16 if her weight was an issue then, Well she is now approaching 16 and her weight has leveled out nicely for her height and is not a concern any more. So maybe just keep an eye on it for now but try not to worry to much unless you see her weight going up to much.

Mandy

OperaticAnnihilator

I dont personally have kids, but my little sister is worse off than your daughter, she is 12 and 5'2" and weighs like 150. My parents let her do. I think that the best way to go about it is maybe investing in a wii and get sports and exercise ames and have family wii nights. It would encourage her and everyone else to play hard in order to beat each other, plus you can burn a lot of calories from those games. We have a wii and my sister loves playing on it. Just makes sure you dont buy the games where she can just sit on her butt and push a button.

wriglucy

Hi again...I forgot to mention this, but could she being going through a growth spurt soon? I always gained weight before a growth spurt (and I think most kids do), and then I grew some and evened out. Just a thought

Christine1110

I'm always at the school...and find it shocking that the kids eat so poorly there. They might offer a healthy choice, but also offer pizza, & burgers. The kids won't eat healthy with all that crap offered. What are they doing to the kids in America. I wish they would wake up and see kids are getting lazy and eating poorly. You may want to check the school lunch program in your area. You can watch what they eat at home....but might want a lunch packed for school, for better health.

I think your wise not to point this out to your child, and are taking the time to educate all your kids... It will pay off in the long run.

jrbb0309

Make it all about health and include all your kids, not just your daughter. The likelihood is that she's maybe about to go through a growth spurt and the weight will redistribute. That said, have her grocery shop with you and help you check labels. Have her get involved in cooking healthy meals with you. When anyone wants seconds, offer them fruit or veggies. If they don't want them, they're obviously not hungry. Make it something the whole family is doing together. Get out for walks once the weather gets better or short ones even when it's so-so. Ask her to help *you* by going for walks with you. Make it something she can be proud of, instead of something to feel self-conscious about.

When I was ten, my dad made a comment about my jeans being too tight and that I looked like I'd put on a few pounds. I was 5'1" at the time and I weighed maybe 100 pounds. I went through a huge growth spurt a couple of months later, got my period, hit 5'7" and became anorexic trying to control my food and not be fat and disgusting to my father. That one single comment, which I know he really didn't mean anything by and was only trying to be helpful, totally destroyed my self-esteem and started a life-long battle with food and my weight.

So please, whatever you do, do not mention her weight to her or the idea of dieting. Make everything about being healthy and making healthier choices and apply it to the whole family.

mayburcm

The suggestions people are making sound really good to me. Chances are that your daughter already recognizes that she is heavier than her siblings or other children around. I think the best thing you could do for someone at that age is to emphasis eating healthy to everyone in the family (which it sounds like you're already doing) and don't emphasize dieting. I grew up in a house where my mom was always "dieting" and my best friend's mom was on a different fad diet every second week. Being exposed to that type of behavior really obscures what a healthy relationship with food is. Teaching about a healthy lifestyle (including the importance of portion sizes) is so much more important than starting a cycle of "dieting".

Being active as a family, or having some special mother daughter time to do something active. I know some gyms even have mother daughter classes which can be really fun. Emphasis how much you value a healthy lifestyle and don't force her to do anything, make it enjoyable so that she'll want to spend that time being active.

appleshells

She LOVES vegetables, we always joke that she could easily be a vegetarian.

I have been thinking that it may be a stage before a growth spurt too. Like I said before, there is nothing "bad" to eat in the house since both my husband and I are getting healthy. We want this to trickle down to the kids so they won't face the weight issues that we have. We are normally a very active family, beach, parks, amusement park, etc. Winter is just the pits here.

RedHotRunner

I also agree with doing things as a family. I run 10K's and whenever there's one available, I sign my daughter up for the attached kids fun run, which I usually end up running with her.

We also bike ride together, play on the playground, swim, etc.

And as someone mentioned, she might be getting ready for a growth spurt, so be very careful how this is handled. My stepson was also getting very pudgy around that age, but after a year or two, it all evened out (and his diet isn't healthy by any means).

Good luck.