My 10yo Daughter is Obese

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  • trackercasey76
    trackercasey76 Posts: 780 Member
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    Thanks for all the replies, I will make a DR apt soon here is a pic of her on her Pony just a few weeks ago. As you can see it is not like she is huge or anything but I just want to do what is right fir her now while I still can so she does not end up like me (I was over 400) or her aunt that is 400 plus

    4h-trail-horse3.jpg
  • PANZERIA
    PANZERIA Posts: 471 Member
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    .
  • Krizzle4Rizzle
    Krizzle4Rizzle Posts: 2,704 Member
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    She might be about to have a hella growth spurt

    Buy and cook better food to feed her, be more active together. Ride bikes, play soccer, etc.

    Other than that, talk to her doc and see what he says. Please don't give her a complex, it's hard enough being a woman.

    :flowerforyou:

    LISTEN TO THIS WOMAN!!
  • wlkumpf
    wlkumpf Posts: 241 Member
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    for my daycare too, snacks are a fat free yogurt or cottage cheese. Whole grain crackers (limited number of them). Fresh fruits and vegies (with lite ranch). Skim milk. low calorie cereals. I only cook home made foods, no prepackaged for my daycare kids as well as my own.
    Their favorites right now are asparagus and salmon. They all love it when I make any fish or grilled chicken. I also buy turkey sausages with cheese (110 calories) and serve on 80 calorie buns. They didn't complain. Those who don't like the "brats" could have a hotdog, I bought the 40 calorie oscar meyer and not one complaint. I make these for 6-10 kids and 2 adults. Not everyday do I spend that much, but if I am going to eat healthy I want the kids I care about to as well :)
  • marathon64
    marathon64 Posts: 378 Member
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    I think it's super sad that kids (maybe not yours) spend so so much time on social networks and there is not a wonderful tool like MFP to help them with fitness and health. Instead they are doing a lot of social networking that focuses on very superficial stuff. I say limit your daughters access to TV and electronics, get the junk out of the house and prepare yummy healthy meals together. And yes I agree get info from your pediatrician about appropriate caloric intake. In the end it's very hard to force food choices on your kid when they are out of the house but when in your home make the best choices possible and good luck I feel for you a ton :heart:
  • sassylilmama
    sassylilmama Posts: 1,495 Member
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    She looks perfectly fine to me.
  • weird_me2
    weird_me2 Posts: 716 Member
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    I agree with the others to talk to her pediatrician and also to just focus on making healthy choices instead of cutting calories or eliminating stuff. Also, focus on the family getting more activity and helping her be strong and fit, not skinny.

    If you are set on setting up a plan for your daughter, check out myplate.gov. It's got some fun things set up geared towards kids and making healthy choices and can also give you the recommended guidelines/serving sizes for children.
  • Kelley528
    Kelley528 Posts: 319 Member
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    At 10 yrs old I doubt she is responsible for her meals. As her parents you need to take control. Make it a family activity. Change the way the whole family eats. You dont necessarily need to put her on a diet but change the types of food/ quality of food she eats.
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,229 Member
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    Forget the MFP account. She does not need to be counting calories at all. Her body needs those calories for that growth spurt that she has coming. You might monitor her eating habits a little better. Keep junk out of the pantry. Make certain that she doesn't over-snack (my daughter does this). Don't allow her to have sodas, and find some extra activities for her to do. You could introduce her to weights. I've done that with my oldest who is a healthy weight, but still feels as if she is fat. I've explained that her weight is fine, but she has to change her body fat percentage. I also bought one of those big exercise balls and my kids will play on that all night. It's not a structured routine, but using the ball does work the ab muscles a lot.
  • JenRLo
    JenRLo Posts: 95 Member
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    You and I are in the same boat. The government has developed a website that is similar to MFP, but geared toward kids:

    https://www.choosemyplate.gov/SuperTracker/default.aspx

    It shows the importance of healthy habits and activities geared towards children. One of my favorite activities they can log is "playing with friends." The site stresses nutrition and activity over obtaining a calorie goal. There is a lot of good information on it.

    Unfortunately, I cannot get my daughter interested in it. smh

    Good luck to you.
  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
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    This is a question you should be asking her pediatrician.

    Yep. Kids generally shouldn't eat restricted calories like that, it can inhibit growth. Talk to her doctor to figure out proper portion sizes, how to switch to healthy foods, and how to encourage physical activity.
  • new2locs
    new2locs Posts: 271 Member
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    One of the biggest fights my ex husband and I had was the day he told our 7 year old daughter that she was getting fat.
    I grew up with my parents constantly reminding me about my weight, from as young as I can remember. I grew up being overweight and very self conscious despite being active in dance classes 4-5 days every week.

    I'm struggling now with my own weight and in trying to teach my kids about healthy choices. My 8 year old daughter is a little heavy for her height and I've noticed a pattern with her eating because she wants the food, not because she is hungry. I remember feeling as a kid that if I didn't have the food then I was missing out on something good. I don't know how this will turn out in the long run, but my focus with my kids is on making decisions that will help their body work best. We talk about what kinds of things our bodies need in order for everything to function well. When they come home after a weekend at their dad's house and tell me they don't feel good it gives an oportunity to discuss their bodys' reactions to eating junk food all weekend (their bodys' don't like the junk and the "not feeling good" is how the body tells us that).
    Another thing I do with my daughter is to portion her food appropriately for her age and size, then when she asks for seconds I tell her we need to wait a bit to see if her body is really still hungry. Most times she gets distracted with other things and forgets about wanting seconds. At bed time I remind her that she asked for seconds, but when she got distracted with other activities and forgot about eating it was a way to see that she really wasn't hungry and needs to listen to her body.

    I really hate seeing young girls with body image issues, it is so unfair that we do that to them so young. Try hard to focus on being healthy and not on how she looks or what clothes she can or cannot wear. When clothes shopping I never tell my daughter that something makes her look fat, I tell her it isn't a good look for her and find something else she likes just as much that works on her body. We all have different body types and the same style doesn't work for all of us.

    Most important thing for your daughter is to see her parents setting a healthy example.

    Good luck! This is a tough situation but with love you will all get through it!

    I love this response!!!! Kudo's to you!
  • AReasor
    AReasor Posts: 355 Member
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    Good job as a parent realizing what huge life altering topic this is for your child. Not all parents do.
  • moujie
    moujie Posts: 229
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    She might be about to have a hella growth spurt

    Buy and cook better food to feed her, be more active together. Ride bikes, play soccer, etc.

    Other than that, talk to her doc and see what he says. Please don't give her a complex, it's hard enough being a woman.

    :flowerforyou:

    LISTEN TO THIS WOMAN!!

    Ditto This!!
    IF the doc says something needs to be done then approach it like, as a family you all want to be healthier - do it as a group thing otherwise all she is going to hear are the words "I am fat" repeating in her head.
  • sempertracy
    sempertracy Posts: 50 Member
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    My question would be if you exercise or play with her? A few people have mentioned activity, but does she get enough? I wouldn't worry about the weight if she is active (I think they recommend a hour a day for kids) with sports, riding her bike or walking the dog.
  • CarleyLovesPets
    CarleyLovesPets Posts: 410 Member
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    She looks healthy to me as well.
    I wouldn't do the calorie counting at all and yes 1200 would be WAY too low in my opinion as she's growing.

    I would just serve some healthier meals if you're worried, or get her going on more walks/bike rides.
    You don't want to introduce calorie counting at such a young age.
    She could have a growth spurt too.

    As long as she's not just eating junk and she's getting activity, don't worry about it.
  • UrbanRunner81
    UrbanRunner81 Posts: 1,207 Member
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    If you care about her health, replace the junk food in the house with healthy snacks. It is okay to have treats sometimes. It shouldn't be an everyday thing. Get rid of soda.
    If she isn't in sports maybe have her join a team in a sport she interested or take up karate, dance or gymnastics.
    Definitely don't start have her counting calories at such a young age.
  • healthybody74
    healthybody74 Posts: 13
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    As a parent, I totally appreciate the concern you have as we want our children to grow up healthy and make the right choices. I would go with the general advice here and talk to a doctor. As a parent, I decide what my young kids eat and make sure it's healthy choices and get them outside to exercise and burn off some energy.

    To the other users here: I believe this parent has the right intentions and is just trying to get more information and advice. It's very difficult as a parent when you are trying to help your child, but don't feel you can or have the knowledge to do so effectively.
  • postrockandcats
    postrockandcats Posts: 1,145 Member
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    Thanks for all the replies, I will make a DR apt soon here is a pic of her on her Pony just a few weeks ago. As you can see it is not like she is huge or anything but I just want to do what is right fir her now while I still can so she does not end up like me (I was over 400) or her aunt that is 400 plus

    4h-trail-horse3.jpg

    Your child hardly looks obese. The best thing you can do for your child outside of talking to her doctor is to walk the walk. You're here getting your habits together? That is the biggest thing. Showing your kids how to eat healthy foods that are delicious while being active.

    This whole thread feels inappropriate. But, perhaps I'm projecting my childhood experiences onto you. Either way...
  • JenniBaby85
    JenniBaby85 Posts: 855 Member
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    Good job as a parent realizing what huge life altering topic this is for your child. Not all parents do.

    I agree. I also agree that you should get her to a doctor, and start eliminating junk food to rare occasions. Good luck!
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