5yr old used Wii to lose weight

Renee2GetFit

I think you guys have done amazing! Had all of our parents instilled fitness and exercise to us at an early age, perhaps we wouldn't be in the same boat as we are now. And the fun part is, your daughter just thought she was playing a game, not changing anything about her.

I have a 12 year old daughter that is slightly overweight and the girls at school are just plain out mean! She so worries all the time about how she looks. She's playing sports this year and doing the exercise videos with me sometimes so maybe she'll loose some weight too.

imthemama060811

Wow!! I cant believe all the negative comments you are getting!!! No wonder why we have an obesity problem in this world, especially in kids!!! I applaud you for being able to teach your daughter to be active. Good for you!!! She is so adorable!!!!

ladyraven68

This is alarming.

Why??, at that age kids start doing lots of activities, football, dance, baseball gym etc - Wii is just another activity.

If it helps promote a healthy habit that she keeps for life it can only be a good thing.

utayah

I think it is wonderful that your 5 year old has inspired you to be healthy, and that your daughter is learning the right tools at such a young age to stay healthy her entire life. Kudos to you!!

MookieL1

I think it's fantastic too. I'm a teacher and I've seen so many overweight kids struggle to keep up with their peers on the playground or in PE. Their little faces get red from exertion and they get embarrassed because they can't do what their friends can do. You have introduced a way to exercise while having fun and that's a really important lesson to learn early. Congrats!!

EMSNJOEY

Great job! I think it is great and important to teach our kids at a young age that fitness and healthy eating can be fun! I was told at my daughter's 4 year check-up that her BMI is too high and that we need to watch her fat intake. My daughter is taller than most kids her age. She looks like a 6 or 7 year old. I hated hearing that because she is tall and lean. you couldn't pinch any "abnormal" amount of fat on her if you tried.

I applaud you for making fitness fun for your child. This just might give her the confidence needed to pursue other activities!

famlyluv

I'm not a parent, but I wouldn't hype this up by posting before and after pics and stuff like that. Chics have enough stigma attached to their weight. And at 5?

Really???? I mean, come on. The child is doing great! I'm sure the she knows it too! And it's not like she's putting her on the front of a magazine or some fad diet.

Congrats to you both! Such an inspiration.

^^ this!! its great you can head off bad habits early! before and after pics are a great way to show her the results of her hard work (play) lol. the weight stigma thing is associated with trying to be stick thin models....being healthy is no stigma!!

Tjarvi

I'm not a parent, but I wouldn't hype this up by posting before and after pics and stuff like that. Chics have enough stigma attached to their weight. And at 5?

Really???? I mean, come on. The child is doing great! I'm sure the she knows it too! And it's not like she's putting her on the front of a magazine or some fad diet.

Congrats to you both! Such an inspiration.

I think it is an awesome thing to post. I see many overweight children and think it is very sad. GOOD 4 YOU to do something about it and encourage others.

Bekzness

I wish my parent's had encouraged me in this way... then again.. they are both stick thin with silly metabolism's and can still eat what they want, when they want... I must belong to the postman or something... haha

I love that she is your inspiration too... she is awesome!!

LisaMom2Lucas

That's great!!! So cute!

She will appreciate you for this. I was an overweight child (starting at 8) and it completely shaped my life (not in good ways, mostly) You're doing a great job mama!!

gudiiya

That is just awesome...I need play more Wii with my 9 year old!

DKev

I think this is fantastic! I think too many people have the mind set that , oh they're just kids they'll get taller and grow into their weight. This may be true for some but definitely not for all. Your child's doctor will be able to tell you weather they are at risk for being overweight. Kudos to you for taking the initiative to help your daughter be more active at such a young age.

estellapip

She's adorable! You're a great mom!

GoodbyeFatChick

That's great and what a cute little girl!

dlcam61

Kiddo looks healthy! She's way too cute too! I'm sure you are working under the advice of a pediatrician so now comments from the peanut gallery. But I would love to know what games she is using? :flowerforyou: Please inbox me, or friend req & wall post it

ycc1964

Awe she is sooo pretty.

skydiamonds67

That is so awesome! You must be a very proud mama! Congrats for encouraging her to be healthy and active! I was overweight as a child and it was no picnic. It affected my confidence, relationships, basically everything. If I had learned the lessons you are teaching your daughter when I was her age, I probably wouldn't be where I am today, obese and needing to lose 100+ pounds. But I'm starting my journey now and am finally going to lose the weight. Feel free to add me as a friend!

dawnkay1

Well done both of you. My son (13) is over weight. He complains about his weight all the time. I try to get him to exercise with me but he never wants to. I think it's amazing that your little girl was so motivated!

Johnnyswife

I'm not a parent, but I wouldn't hype this up by posting before and after pics and stuff like that. Chics have enough stigma attached to their weight. And at 5?

Kids are horrible to anyone who looks different..trust me, she probably had enough stigma attached to her weight.

The Wii Fit board, (or any game system that promotes moving around a lot,), is so much fun and keeps me from feeling as if I am working out. Glad it worked for your daughter so well!

VodkaSalad37

Have you checked out www.wiifitroutine.com?? It's great- It makes "workout plans" customized to you using the wii fit. (and it's free) I love it!

FunkBunny

I'm not a parent, but I wouldn't hype this up by posting before and after pics and stuff like that. Chics have enough stigma attached to their weight. And at 5?

Please... don't worry about us "Chicks". :noway:

To the OP, that is amazing, finally a video game does some good!


Hahaha.. I read my post and I sound like a total prude. Ah well!

CouchSpud

Even though this is great, whatever happened to the plain old routine of getting your children out into the fresh air cycling, playing, going for walks, making kites fly, climbing trees? I actually found that quite fun when I was a child.... just saying...

kerryannk

Also, since joining the gym my girls (4&7) have taken a HUGE interest in exercising and my oldest has been begging to go to yoga classes with me...so much so that my gym has set up a Mother/Daughter class on saturdays starting next week :bigsmile:

HOW FUN!!!

rayleansout

I would contact nintendo immediately - send them before and after pics and cash in on that little story...

honeysprinkles

She was never told she was overwieight, I just stopped buying sugary snacks like dunkaroos and gushers and she plays dance games on wii, i would never lower her self esteem at such a young ago by making her feel big.

Our public health nurse suggested a referral to the nutritionist because of her BMI but instead of taking her there i took matters into my own hands, she eats anything we eat, yes cake, mcdonalds whatever, but clearly its in moderation and the excercise makes all the difference in the world,.

I was so scared about bullying when she started kindergarten this year because kids are so cruel, but im so thankful theres nothing to worry about anymore!

IF A 5 YEAR OLD CAN DO IT, WE ALL CAN DO IT!

This is so awesome! I'm sure a lot of us on here know what it's like to be chubby as a kid, and it's not the best feeling! I love that she got healthier while having fun and before she was old enough to develop self esteem issues because of her weight. Good for both of you! I'm going to start using my wii more too!

MaximalLife

Wow!
This is great.

Better to get a handle on it now before obesity ruins her life.

Again, good going.

ericabrothers

that is awesome!!!!! i am a nurse for a pediatrician and i would LOVE it if more of the parents would help their kids get into shape. There are so many fat kids that i see come in and it makes me sad because i know that other kids are sooo mean and they going to get picked on a lot for their weight. great job mom!!!

akossen

That's great! Way to instill great habits now. My 2 year old attempts to work out with me by dancing to Zumba, and she does her "cunches" and "ush umps"...LOL

starshine420

That's great that she has slimmed back to a healthy weight. I've heard that kids shouldn't lose weight as such but grow into their weight (as they get taller), but not sure how true that is.

How do you calculate kids BMI? I presume it isn't the same as calculating adults.

Do you reckon your own diet changes have had an impact on your DD as well? The reason I ask is when I told my cousin that I was doing MFP she commented "And that will have a good impact on the girls as well" but in truth my girls have always had a really healthy diet (blush - shame I couldn't follow the same advice - we all ate healthily together, then I just ate extra in the evenings after they were in bed), so it hasn't impacted on them at all. But I'm guessing in some families an improvement in parents diet will have a big flow-on for kids. Sorry, a bit OT, feel free to answer or not, as the whim takes you

In some kids it can. Maybe not always on the diet, but you're becoming a better role model for when they get older. In our house it is helping because my son is a terribly picky eater. He's not unhealthy, I make sure of that, but he is stubborn and refuses to eat fruits and veggies (hence the "i make sure of that part" because he doesn't know he actually does eat these things), but as he notices my boyfriend and me enjoying things, like carrot sticks for a snack, he slowly becomes curious and decides he'll try it and sometimes he likes it,sometimes he doesn't. We've had this work for cheese, spaghetti, meatballs, burgers, now we're really focusing on fruits and veggies, and you can see he 's curious already. So, long story short, you may not see a difference in your girls' lives now but wait till they get older and they get their own say in what snacks they eat and they reach for an apple instead of a bag of chips.

starshine420

As to the poster of this topic, you're daughter is beautiful. great job keeping her healthy and being a wonderful parent.