My 10yo Daughter is Obese

skylark94

I think you need to choose a different picture. Most folks here seem to think the girl leaning on the fence is your daughter, even though you did say she's the one on the pony.

Talk to her doctor. Don't rely on internet friends and calculators for this.

sherpasmom

Just chiming in, be the example! And another vote for making this a family commitment to healthy. Now that I'm walking again, guess who wants to walk / bike ride by me? My daughter! And there's amazing opportunities for talk and sharing too. Same with food

Best of luck!

ukulele2010

The people who reply to this thread and discuss their own issues with weight are so off base. This thread isn't about you... As far as I can tell, the father is a loving father who perceives a problem and wants some advice. Yes, he will talk to a pediatrician - he may be looking for other advice so he knows what to ask at the pediatrician's office.

NataBost

What has her pediatrician said? That is my first question because she's not fully physically developed as yet. Also, as an aside, I work with BMI charts every once and a while through my employer. A t4'10" and at 10 years of age, the chart I have access to for children 6-15 YOA states that a range of 68-143lbs is "preferred". But as several people have said, Pediatrician first!!!!

117 is not obese for someone who is 4'10.......I think you need to speak to her doctor before you damage your daughter. And 1200 is insane for a child....

Actually, according to the CDC, 117 is considered obsese for a 4'10" child:

http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/dnpabmi/Result.aspx?&dob=4/8/2002&dom=8/21/2012&age=124&ht=58&wt=117&gender=2&method=0&inchtext=0&wttext=0

Why do you feel 1200 is insane for a child? Are you saying it's too high or too low?

1200 seems low, but I have no clue what I ate at that age, nor am I a parent. However I'd still go with a doctor's visit. A ten year old girl is still growing, and there are other factors like frame and health history. The BMI chart I referenced was for gaining insurance, so every carrier is different. Some are more lenient, others are far more strict.

KrazyAsianNic

Just make sure you involve her in stuff that she too will enjoy. I know i was overweight around that age and I hated how my parents went around me trying to lose weight. It only made things worse. For example, they had me on a veggie soup like 3 times a day and only that. I love veggies, but it's hard to eat mistrone type soups because it scars me.

KrazyAsianNic

another tip I have is to involve her in the cooking. Stock the fridge and cabinets with healthy stuff. if she's hungry, she'll learn to eat it. Let her think up ideas for meals too maybe.

jennifermaffei17

You don't need to put her on a "diet". Just change her diet and exercise habits. No harm in letting a kid have ice cream or chocolate milk now and then but make sure all meals are balanced and they get outside for 30mins to an hour per day and do something active.

If she "diets" now, you are reinforcing eating and weight issues she may or may not currently have. This can lead to body image issues, low self-esteem, and the development of eating disorders. Believe it or not, bulimia also includes binging then exercising in excess to rid the calories and weight. Be careful what you are doing....if this is not handled correctly, you are not helping your child but actually harming her.

VanessaHeartsMasr

I was a chubby kid. At 8, my mother sent me to a children's weight loss clinic. At 9, she put me on Herbalife diet shakes. At 10-11, she forced me to do daily exercise. At 12, she sent me to fat camp. I never felt beautiful. I rebeled and ate crap just to spite her. At 13, she gave up, and I did it my own way, the unhealthy way, because I hated my body so much. In my teens and 20s, I drank, smoked, did drugs, and got pregnant at 17 because I felt like no one would ever love me because I was "fat." Now, at 36, I'm obese. I look back and realize that she was just trying to help me because she loved me, but I lived my life feeling like a fat, worthless, ugly person with absolutely no self esteem. My advice, delete her account. Love her for who she is, tell her she is beautiful inside and out, praise her when she makes healthy food choices and make your family's lifestyle healthy with her included in it. Make sure she loves her body and loves who she is. That age is so critical in a girl's life. I'm a living example of this. Good luck.

nataliexxxx

Id get her to just eat healthier food and snack on fruits but not reduce too much shes still growing, if she stays the same weight and grows then her bmi will lower

Camille0502

I don't want to scare you but if she is 11 and already "obsessed" with food you might want to look deeper into what is going on. I started counting calories and watching what I ate at 10 years old by 16 years old I had been in and out of treatment for anorexia. I would honestly start really looking closely at her eating habits because it sounds like an ED in the making.

I just set up an account for my daughter (11 year old). She is not overweight but obsessed with food. I want to help her see that she is not eating a lot of calories. It also set her up at 1200 calories. A couple weeks back, I looked on line and you can find sites that help determine the calories needs for children (and it is higher than 1200 calories). I plan to do that for her then trick the program into setting her daily her daily goals at that number.

Note for Myfitnesspal - consider enabling children to establish accounts with their parents' permission and oversight and calculate child-appropriate numbers.

Oh, I am. I have already bought two books on EDs and am watching the situation like a hawk. She has a check up on Friday and I plan to talk about this with the doctor (with her out of the room).

sassylilmama

Sorry I was not looking at the right child. However she still only looks a bit overweight. My 9yo is a bit overweight as well. Her ped. has told us to make sure she has healthy foods and proper portions but weight loss is not the goal. We just try to have her maintain her weight. Over the summer she has been more active and had a growth spurt and now appears thinner but we are not making her lose weight. And she does not count calories but is aware of which foods are better for her body and what will serve her better to keep her full and help her body be healthy.

Steven

Hi Folks,

I do need to lock this down. Because our terms of use require users to be 18 or older, threads seeking advice on adapting MFP for those under 18 are not permitted.

Please refer all questions concerning the nutritional needs of minors to the appropriate medical professionals.

This thread may be removed at some point in the future.

Regards,
Steven
MyFitnessPal Staff