Is it safe to use for children?

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Lookntolose
Lookntolose Posts: 3
in Health and Weight Loss
Is it safe to use this site for a 9 yr old? I do not want to risk the development of my child but we need an easier way to set goals and track them. Any help is appreciated.
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  • ClarkMer
    ClarkMer Posts: 206 Member
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    I would consult a pediatrician and get their reccomendations before trying to start a regimen for a child
  • SpaceMarkus
    SpaceMarkus Posts: 651
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    The site should be perfectly fine for a child to use. You're just tracking and logging what they eat. Talk to your doc about how many calories they need so you can plug that in.
  • rfcollins33
    rfcollins33 Posts: 630
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    Did your doctor say your child should try to lose or gain weight? The only thing I'd be worried about is a 9 year old obsessing over his/her weight. My mother was forever on some kind of fad diet or crash diet, and now I think I constantly have issues with weight and body image because of that. But, if your child seriously needs to make a change in his/her health, and your doctor is aware, then I don't see why not. I guess it depends on your circumstances. I dont see where it would physically harm a nine year old, as long as the child is getting his/her nutritional needs. I'm curious to see what others will think. Good luck!
  • mlemonroe2
    mlemonroe2 Posts: 603
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    it wouldnt let me set it up for my 1 year old. i just wanted to keep track of her vitamins, calcium, protien, and iorn.
  • Nataliethin81
    Nataliethin81 Posts: 315
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    Definitely consult a pediatrician before you start any diet for a child.
  • andipandi
    andipandi Posts: 91 Member
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    you need a doctor to set the goals...period.
  • Sonofabiscuit2
    Sonofabiscuit2 Posts: 323 Member
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    maybe but with the supervision of the childs pediatrician. In no case do I think a child should use the site unsupervised as there are too many adults here.
  • mikeyrp
    mikeyrp Posts: 1,616 Member
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    Who will be doing the tracking - you or them? Are you concerned about the calories or mental health issues such as anorexia etc? is the goal to loose or gain weight? Personally I would be keeping a close eye on how the site was being used by them.

    With respect to calories etc I would suggest that you set the targets manually based on advice from your GP.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    Is it safe to use this site for a 9 yr old? I do not want to risk the development of my child but we need an easier way to set goals and track them. Any help is appreciated.

    the goals are set up for adults, children's nutrition needs differ greatly and as such the info on this site (goals) should not be used for anyone under the age of 18.
  • LindsayChick
    LindsayChick Posts: 129 Member
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    You should check out Foodpyramid.org It is the official American Dietetic Association's stance on nutrition, including for children. This is what your pediatrician will most likely refer to. It has a special section on "nutrition for kids". Hope this helps! =)
  • mmtiernan
    mmtiernan Posts: 702 Member
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    I believe the minimum age is 18 to use this site.

    I'd also be pretty concerned about teaching a child so young to focus on calories - it could be easy to see how that might set up the child for an unhealthy obsession. Perhaps you might instead teach him/her about proper nutrition as fuel for the body. Teach about how to read a nutrition label. A 9-year old is also plenty old enough to begin learning how to cook, how to plan healthy menus and how to use that menu for shopping at the grocery store. Those are healthy lifetime skills he/she can take with them forever!
  • RILEYRED
    RILEYRED Posts: 647 Member
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    DEFINETELY ASK YOUR DOC. FIRST. IT'S A WHOLE OTHER BALLGAME FOR KIDS. RED
  • dls06
    dls06 Posts: 6,774 Member
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    There is a site http://www.mypyramid.gov/kids/index.html
    It is geared to children (6-11). It has games and is fun for kids. My grandson (9) does it and loves it. Good Luck!
  • Ms_Natalie
    Ms_Natalie Posts: 1,030 Member
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    I believe the minimum age is 18 to use this site.

    I'd also be pretty concerned about teaching a child so young to focus on calories - it could be easy to see how that might set up the child for an unhealthy obsession. Perhaps you might instead teach him/her about proper nutrition as fuel for the body. Teach about how to read a nutrition label. A 9-year old is also plenty old enough to begin learning how to cook, how to plan healthy menus and how to use that menu for shopping at the grocery store. Those are healthy lifetime skills he/she can take with them forever!

    The minimum age to use this site is 13.

    It should be fine to help track your sons progress on here with regards to calories consumed but use it only as a recording tool...you need to speak to your doctor to gain some professional advice about how to go about this.

    :flowerforyou:
  • live2smyle
    live2smyle Posts: 592 Member
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    You might want to look at this website.... www.sparkteens.com it is specifically set up for children.
  • Lookntolose
    Lookntolose Posts: 3
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    I think I will follow this link - I heard about it and should be a safe guide to use. http://www.mypyramid.gov/kids/index.html

    Thanks for the suggestion/
  • Lookntolose
    Lookntolose Posts: 3
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    Thanks for all of the replies - some answers:

    - Yes, my child needs to lose weight as he has seen a doctor
    - It works bests with goals and lists - however, attention span is an issue
    - Trying to find an appropriate way to do this without impacting development
    - No sites want to 'help kids' for fear of litigation (thanks society)
    - I appreciate the concern the parents provided here.
    - Any tracking would be supervised - but my child needs to be involved / engaged with it, otherwise, I own it and my child needs to own it.
  • BigBoneSista
    BigBoneSista Posts: 2,389 Member
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    Is it safe to use this site for a 9 yr old? I do not want to risk the development of my child but we need an easier way to set goals and track them. Any help is appreciated.

    the goals are set up for adults, children's nutrition needs differ greatly and as such the info on this site (goals) should not be used for anyone under the age of 18.

    I agree.

    Just keep an eye on what your child eats at home. Remember they are still children so the idea is for them to make healthier choices but not to deprive them. I have a 9 and 10 year old. They make much healthier choices now that I have changed my lifestyle but they still enjoy things that I do not because I'm stricter with my intake. Continue to set that example and they will follow with a little tug of course :smile:
  • BigBoneSista
    BigBoneSista Posts: 2,389 Member
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    Thanks for all of the replies - some answers:

    - Yes, my child needs to lose weight as he has seen a doctor
    - It works bests with goals and lists - however, attention span is an issue
    - Trying to find an appropriate way to do this without impacting development
    - No sites want to 'help kids' for fear of litigation (thanks society)
    - I appreciate the concern the parents provided here.
    - Any tracking would be supervised - but my child needs to be involved / engaged with it, otherwise, I own it and my child needs to own it.

    At 9 years old they aren't totally mature enough to own it. Think about it how long did it take most of us to own it and we do have the maturity level to do so. Being involved such as joining you looking at labels while you explain them, preparing healthy meals with you and being active is one thing. Making it a homework assignment ...almost like a job at 9 yrs old is another. It can become a slippery slope. I'm not saying that you wouldn't be focus enough to notice. Being a mother I just felt compelled to put it out there. I also have a younger son that was slightly overweight. The doctor wanted him to lose a minimum of 15 lbs. He has done so. What we did was cut out all fast foods expect Chinese food/ Subway w/soda once a month. He can have a chocolate bar treat once a week and he can have a bag of indivdual chips once a day. Other than that its fruit, water and no sugar added juice. Plus home cook meals except for school lunches of course. He has slimmed up. We started this in January. I'm not physically tracking anything. I just gave him boundaries and better choices and he is enjoying them. Of course there was some protest with no fast foods in the beginning. I gave in to him after a month of no fast foods and healtier eating...he & his 9 yr old sister got so sick that I had to take them to the ER. I didn't have any more protest after that. They says no to fast food now. Lesson learned lol
  • Brandie6004
    Brandie6004 Posts: 87 Member
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    I wouldn't put my 9 yr on any site like this. Kids sometimes start adding some weight as they're growing. My own son (nine yrs old) has gotten a lil chunky in the middle, but his doc isn't worried, and his older cousions all grew out and then up thur out their tween and teen years (after seeing 3 boys/young men; 20, 18, and 14) go thur this I'm not too worried about my kiddo. However, now that I'm getting my health act together, I can see the bad habits he's pick up on (I'm not too proud of that). :/

    Here's what I am doing;

    I have started using smaller plates for dinner (I pull the out for the whole family so we all use them).

    I use my measuring cups to help w portion sizes, and put half the portion size on my kids' plates (their little tummies are smaller than ours after all and it's very easy to forget that and give them too much!)

    I no longer put everything on the table, I leave all up on the stove. It's really easy to eat more (often times too much) with it all out on the table in front of you.

    I look for ways to make our meals healthier.

    If he want's 2nds he has to have more veggies as well. If he's still asking for more I just simply tell him to wait a few mins to make sure he's still really hungry. We eat dinner together at our kitchen table, so it's easy to get him to wait; usually someone is still eating and/or we're talking about our day. Most nights, by the time everybody has finished he's full. If not he gets a peice of fruit.

    I try to keep fruits and veggies right were the kids can reach them and the junky snacks are up on a high slef in the pantry. I tell them if they want fruit for veggies, they can just grab it, they don't have to ask. That seems to help. I still give them cookies and such once in a while (like maybe once a week - if even that often) but I just give them one or two and not 4.

    I have taken up walking w another mom during the week and my 9 yr old hears me telling about my day out (plus he gets a little green that his little sister is out and going to the park while he's at school) so he's taken to asking me to go on walks after dinner. We took almost at 2 1/2 mile walk last night! This gives him one on one time w mom and a little bit of excerise :)


    Over all, if you're living a healthy lifestyle then your kids will learn to be healty. ...if you're like me and you're changing out "bad" habbits for "good" ones, there will be days that the kiddos will make it hard for you, but you have to stand your ground. On the "hard" days when my son wants 4 cookies (hardly happens at all anymore thank goodness!) I just flat out tell him that I want our family to be healthier and having 4 cookies isn't being healthy; one or two once in a while is fine, but not four every few days.

    ...and please don't forget to set up an appointment w your doctor to go over any concerns that you may have about your child's weight/size/health.

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