Overweight Children

waterjogger

Does anyone have any ideas for a child (10yo) who is beginning to gain weight? She is just like her mother unfortunately and eats constantly. She has no idea of when to quit, or when she's truly hungry. We don't keep junk food in the house, except an occasional ice cream bar, but whenever she eats she always goes overboard. I have to watch her like a hawk to keep her from eating constantly and the minute I turn my back she's at the frig looking for something to eat. Immediately after eating supper she starts crying that she's still hungry. We have regular meal times, and I give her healthy snacks, like a piece of fruit, or nuts, or veggies and dip, but she's still complaining about being hungry. She is on a high dose of Keppra for seizures and that is when she really started putting on weight but the dr says that it isn't the medication. I tried putting things high up, but she just climbs up and gets stuff. She plays outside and swims all day in the summertime so she isn't sedentary at all, but she drives me crazy coming in and out to get snacks for her and her friends. My two oldest children eat reasonably and don't have a weight problem but I'm really worried about my youngest. One morning she got up early before anyone in the house was awake and ate a whole box of ice cream sandwiches my dh had bought as a special treat the night before. I'm about ready to put alarms on the pantry and frig so I know when she's getting into stuff. Any ideas on how to teach her to eat when she's hungry now while she's young. We've taken her to a nutritionist, who helped with what to feed her and when, but she still constantly says she's hungry.

Cindy311

It's really hard to read something, especially when it's dealing with a child. I think you're just going to have to grit your teeth and stand by your rules of three meals and reasonable snacks in between. My boys drive me nuts too asking for food all the time but I just tell them no and send them on their way. I've figured there's no way in the world they will starve to death in a matter of 2-3 hours. I hope that you and your family can work together to get through this. I know one day she will thank you. I wish my Mom would have been more strict

LolasEpicJourney

I was an overweight child myself. I was highly active but still seemed to pack on the pounds. If she doesnt have a 'full' sensor there could be something wrong inside. Ive heard of issues before where there seems to be no off switch for the hunger. Maybe do some google searches and see what is suggested. There may be a way to do some counselling to help her.

I hope you can find help for your little gem - dont give up!

christine24t

Interesting topic to think about. Looking back on myself as an overweight child, I wish someone had intervened then so I wouldn't be struggling now.
Have you had a physical, blood work, etc. performed on her? Sometimes insatiable appetites can be symptoms of an underlying problem, like something with hormones and glands. If you've tried everything and she's still struggling, I would suggest bringing her to a doctor and having her evaluated.
If that is all clear, maybe consider having her talk to a psychologist? It could help her realize any underlying issues with her eating habits.
Since you seem like a great mom, maybe tell her every time she wants to eat something she knows she shouldn't have, she needs to ask you for permission or come talk to you about why she is feeling the way she is. Or maybe you need to reward her periodically (every week, every month?)for good eating habits with non-food rewards like a new shirt or a new pair of jeans?

SimplyDeLish

I'm not a medical professional, but it certainly sounds to me that the medication is having an effect on you satiety center in her brain. There's no way she could always be "hungry" if it weren't. Maybe getting a second opinion about switching medications?

Best wishes for a healthy resolution!

pittsblue99

Oh my goodness, my heart goes out to you and your family. I am not a doctor by any means but does she maybe have a thyroid problem that is causing the hunger? The nutritionalist is a good idea but maybe she needs to see a child psycholigist? Wow, it sounds like you have your hands full for sure. God bless you and your family.

mrphil86

I would honestly try to have her eat more often but in small meals.

So instead of 3 big meals, try 6 smaller meals.

That's always my advice who say they are constantly hungry. Just keep her on the health foods. It's a constant struggle but after awhile she will loose the taste of junk foods.

It's also natural for people to want things that are sweet, salty, and fatty. Your body needs these things so it tells you to eat these kinds of things. Don't deprive her of it just go a more natural route about it.

rileysowner

I am thinking you need to really research (google is your friend here) the potential side effects of her medication. Often medication can have very rare but powerful mental side effects. The other thing I would want to make sure of is that her digestive tract is working correctly. Sometimes a natural response to nutritional deficiencies is to have your body tell you to keep eating. It sounds like she eats a balanced diet, but maybe she is having problems absorbing something. For that matter maybe the medication is causing problems with absorbing certain nutrients. Either way this sounds like it goes beyond simple habits of eating to something more. As her parent I would push hard and search hard for everything I could find. I would advocate with the doctor because if you can deal with this at 10, it may save her a lots of health issues in the future. I hope you can figure it out.

Christine1110

Make sure she has only healthy snack to eat...baby carrots & other fruits & veggies. If you don't buy it she can't eat it....she doesn't have a job! Have her eat high fiber foods. Also NO seconds until at least 20 mins after she is finished eating.

I would not tell her she is gaining weight.....She is to young to understand. Have her play sports, ride bikes, or take walks with her.....any thing to keep her moving.

Maybe you need to take her to see another nutritionist. She must have other things going on....you are not hungry after you just ate. She must be eating to cover some other reason....and you don't want her to do that forever!


Don't let her wear you down....you are in charge!!

Good luck to you & your family : )

katie_rn

have you had her to her family doctor lately? thyroid concerns, diabetes, I would want to rule all that out first too, just to be sure nothing is overlooked that could be triggering her hunger, other than her medication like you mentioned. maybe it's just a growth spurt too? otherwise, try high protein meals and snacks, grilled chicken, lots of vegetables, and yogurts or other pre-portioned snacks that she can reach for. is she drinking enough water? I often eat when i'm actually thirsty.. hope things sort out!

andreahanlon

What about working with a behavioral psychologist or someone who specializes in disordered eating? It's so hard to know what do to with someone so young! I had similar issues when I was young and well into my early 20s. It wasn't until I was adult and started working in a behavior modification field that I could finally start to lose the weight. It's so hard to know what to do, but it's good she has someone like you on her side. Good luck!!!

shellybsn

The Keppra may be contributing to the overeating. Asking her neurologist about potential fixes or a different medication may help. If switching meds isn't an option, maybe some counseling for impulse-control would help. Either way, her pediatrician and neurologist need to be involved if you're at the point of alarming the fridge. Medications can have unintended side effects, especially if she might be prone to overeating anyway. Otherwise, maybe stocking up on high fiber/high protein snacks that are lower in fat to try and help satisfy her. Make sure she's drinking LOTS of water too. Maybe if she's getting a little thirsty she's confusing it with hunger. Good luck!

Thriceshy

I would recommend including her fully in your quest--have her take part in meal planning, show her how you count calories, carbs, etc. so she understands what food does to and for us. Whatever exercise you do, see if you can find a way to include her. At ten, you don't want weight peeling off her so much as you want her to stay near where she is, weight-wise and grow into it. I would take all snack foods out of the house except those that are healthy--fruits, veggies, nuts, etc. Keep treats to small packages that are suited to one or two snacking sessions. If she won't stay out of cabinets, move the foods she's binging on into a locked cabinet and leave only the fruits and veggies accessible. If you have juices and chocolate milk in the house, ditch them. Same with chips and such.

My son started to get chubby two years ago, after being rail thin (frighteningly thin) for years. He discovered pizza, buffalo sauce and chips at the age of 11, and suddenly all he wanted was pizza, chips and wings. With chocolate milk. Beginning in January, we started including him in workouts (he does elliptical, treadmill, and bike), plus explaining to him foods, nutrients, and how our bodies use them. He now measure out his cereal (and uses skim instead of whole milk), pays attention to how much pizza or how many wings he's had, and it's made ALL the difference. He's only lost ten pounds, and likely won't lose anymore. But he's also grown two inches, and what was getting pudgy and round is now trim and healthy. He's down two pants sizes, and his shirts aren't hugging his belly anymore.

He feels great. He feels so much better about how he looks--he had been getting very self-conscious. He is more confident in his swimsuit, doesn't feel embarrassed. I'm very proud of him, and happy for him.

It is very hard, I think, as heavy parents, to view our kids with an objective eye. I was so afraid I was imagining the chubbiness, and I didn't want to impose whatever hangups and neuroses I have on my child. But we seem to have found a healthy way to improve his eating habits and activity level without making him obsess, and I'm glad for that.

Edited to say yes, yes, YES on making sure it's not the medicine or diabetes! Great thinking! We brought our boy in for a check-up and blood work before he started working out with us!

I'm wishing you and your sweet girl the best of luck!

Kris

bloodbank

I have had several clients on Levetiracetam (Keppra) & their doctors had all warned of weight gain as a common side effect, so I'm not sure why your daughter's doctor would think differently. Each of these clients had a weight issue due to (obviously necessary) long-term use of the drug... however, I did have one woman who (with the help of a nutritionist) created a 14 day meal plan that was high in volume but that kept her calories in a reasonable range. With that & an exercise plan, over the course of the last year I worked with her, she had been able to shed about 40 of her 60 extra pounds.

Having a (different) nutritionist that deals specifically with children work with you to do something similar (a high volume, 10 year old appropriate calorie meal plan) would be my first suggestion, and my second to ensure she's as active as possible - a sport, a dance class, family walks after dinner, etc.

Bethannny

I was exactly like that when I was younger-- I never seemed to feel full and would just eat all day. I still am that way. I'm not sure why, but maybe the doctor will know why or have some suggestions. It's just hard because I didn't get the willpower to restrict my food intake until my mid teens, and she's just a kid. Maybe try to keep her busy after she eats. Like go swimming or play with some chalk, or do some type of craft. Maybe that'll keep her mind off of her hunger.

Pebble321

Wow, this sounds hard!! It sounds as though she has some specific issues going on and I don't think it's something you have to cope with on your own. I suggest:
1. Get to a doctor to test for/rule out underlying medical issues.
2. Ask around your area for the right person to look at behaviour issues and food and get help to teach her about eating, how to listen to her body, other things she could do instead of eating, strategies for coping with stress etc.
3. Go back to the nutritionist and review what she gave you and ask for more help.
Good luck with a tricky situation, and don't feel like you have to do it all on your own.

cammons

I think that you have some pretty valid concerns and I am very glad that you're working now to find solutions that will suit you both.

I was always a pretty thin little kid, until puberty started rearing it's ugly head when I was eight. My mother saw that I was starting to "pork out" and worked really hard at turning the ship around but she did so in such a way that I felt a little bit like a freak show. My two brothers who were then and still are very thin could have whatever they wanted without a single word from Mom, but she watched what I ate like a hawk and always had me (just me) on some kind of diet or another...mind you, I didn't think I was heavy and like your daughter I was more active than both of my brothers so exercise was not the issue. I recall one ugly incident over my wanting a single slice of bread after school; my brothers got to have brownies for their snack, but I was on a "no sugar in the first five ingredients" diet at the time so I couldn't have any...all I'll say about that is that 20 years later I still vividly remember that argument and how badly it made me feel to be singled out like that.

I would ask that as you go through this with your daughter that you don't make it all about her (even thought it really is). Her brothers need to know about nutrition and exercise too, they may not always stay thin, and it is important not to single her out. If the entire family works on eating healthy together and has the same foods than everyone can learn together about good nutrition and exercise.


Best of luck to you all.

trosewine

I just did a quick Google search on Keppra and weight gain and several hits came up that indeed Keppra can cause weight gain. Seems to me you need to explore the medication issue further with your doctor or get a second opinion as well as educate yourself. Good luck...

brityn

Be careful about restricting her or keeping foods from her. My dad and his two brothers were raised in a very 'food' strict house. He told me that he remembers hiding junk in his room that he'd have his friends bring over cause his parents never let him have anything he wanted. The three boys all ended up obese by 25. Two have had gastric bypass. Try to deal with the problem through counseling rather than just restriction. If she understands better then maybe she won't be so inclined to go for it. Also, it seems like the more we say 'no' the more kids will find a way to get it. It's so scary raising kids! Good luck. You'll be in my prayers

Papillon22

Everybody has pretty much said what I wanted to say.

I think the correct route for this is to see if it is in fact a physical issue (as a result of the medication or something else), and if it is not, then I'd take her to a psychologist.

I wish you both the best of luck!

rachpiper720

It sounds to me that the medication is probably affecting her hunger signals. Plus, she is young and growing....I remember ALWAYS being hungry growing up.

Have you looked at the research for the effects of a high fat diet on seizures? I don't know how severe the seizures are, or what is going on, but I have read several articles on the benefits of using a high fat diet to reduce and/or control seizures. It might be worth looking into if the medication is having terrible side effects.

Here is one such article:

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/102/6/1358.abstract