Question is about my 7 year old daughter who weighs 80lbs
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I just want to add that I was the same way as a child - always wanting to eat, always snacking but the problem was the quantity of what I ate. I too, ate as much as grown adult, and it was all garbage. I was also on the heavy side. It might take some family sacrifice, but you need to eliminate unhealthy snacks from the house. Fruit, healthy fats like nuts and cheese, yogurt, that kind of stuff is what you should be keeping around. Let her have as much and as many different kind of fruits as she wants. That stuff is more filling and satisfying than processed junk anyway. I know looking back I wish my parents had taught me about nutrition and not let me eat so much junk food all the time.0
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I have no idea if this will help you or not. I have a friend who recently married a lovely woman with daughters...one of whom was overweight. This friend runs every single day. He started taking the girls running with him around a local school track on sunday mornings. He told them that he has to run so that he can have his sunday pastry. They now run together all the time and only get a pastry on sundays. It has helped the little girl get more active, see food in a healthier way and as she is growing taller she is slimming down.0
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My son is almost 6. He's a big kid...always been in the 90th+ percentile for weight and at least 80th for height. My husband is 6'3. So one thing to look at is: are her height and weight proportional? Find out where on the CDC's growth chart she falls for both, and see how they compare.
My son also eats constantly. The only foods I put within his reach are fruits, veggies, pumpkin seeds, and nuts (I try to monitor the last 2 at least a little bit). Obviously, I want to him to eat when he is hungry, but more importantly I want him to learn to decide for himself if he is hungry...to actually learn hunger cues.
I'm taking more of a fitness approach with him. I try to keep him active, which is hard in the winter. I've enrolled him in some fun physical activities, so it doesn't feel like punishment.
I was also an elementary school teacher. It doesn't hurt to voice your concerns to the teacher (obviously in private). You would be surprised by what teachers know...and what they don't know sometimes.0 -
What is her paediatrician/family doc's opinion? Do they think she is overweight? There are dieticians/nutritionists who work with kids and they can give you great tips about how to handle this.
I wonder if you could take her with yourself for walks or bike rides. Sometimes being active curbs the appetite.
I did and he just told me to make sure there's healthy options " check" do that already...
Exercise "check" we go swimming, skating, I take kids to park all the time.
I will maybe ask if I can see a nutritionist about constant hunger, she's a very implusive person, and I think alot of it is that...she eats before she thinks. Just really likes food any food...
I would change doctors if this doctor gives you the standard responses "healthy choice" "more activity" and does not check her out physically and do some blood work. Lots of other things could be working against her, thyroid controls weight and she could need medication. I would insist on a complete physical checkup and to keep a food and activity log as best as you can for her intake and her exercise. It will help the doctor or the nutritionist. Does diabetes run in your family? Blood tests will tell you if she is diabetic or borderline. Good luck.0 -
The trend among pediatricians now is to tell parents of chubby youngsters to completely cut out sugary foods except for rare special occasions and to even cut out fruit juice--only water or whole milk for beverages. This has been pretty successful in most cases. One young mom that I know has followed this advice and both of her formerly chubby kids have slimmed down.
I agree with a "water only" policy. My 9yo son drinks only water at home. He drinks plenty too. I do get him a treat everyday after school, on his way to his after-school lessons. He usually chooses a Sprite, but sometimes chips & mints. Other than that, it's water all the time. Drinking too many calories is one of the easiest points of attack and would get immediate results. Also, my son does martial arts. He's expected to be there and workout (hard!) for an >hour every day 5x/week. I admit that we don't always make such a a rigorous schedule, but we can usually make 4x/wk. There have been a couple of huskier kids who started the class and came regularly and have leaned out. If everything checks out medically and you feel that it's just a lifestyle thing, those would be the two things I'd approach first--switch to water only beverage (maybe 1x/day exception) and get into a REGULAR, daily exercise routine (but not necessarily "exercise", maybe dance or martial arts or gymnastics or swimming--but regular/daily & intense, kids have so much energy). Other than those key points, my son eats junk daily, is rather sedentary at home (video games),and I make sure he eats plenty of calories (I put double butter on his sandwiches regularly), but his weight/body composition seem fine. Good luck.0 -
I was exactly the same way as your daughter OP! Tall for my age, always heavy with a big belly. It was the jeans story that really twigged for me. EXACTLY the same, couldn't wear jeans that fit both my belly and my legs.
I was always the tallest in the class, every year and it was about age 7 that I started to grow out too.
I overate with food, and stopped moving. You could give me carrots and apple and celery and broccoli and I would chow down on them just as happily as biscuits (cookies) and chips and chocolate. It didn't really matter what I ate, I just wanted food.
I think a previous poster mentioned teaching your daughter to slow down and eat food for taste - so she'll learn 'fullness' or 'satiety' signals - is a good idea. And the water instead of food, in case she's dehydrated.
Other than that, keep consulting with your GP (family doctor). If you're not happy with how they're brushing your concerns off, consider getting a second (or third) opinion, if you feel there may be a hormonal or metabolic imbalance that isn't being recognised or even considered for testing.0 -
I also was exactly the same as your daughter at that age, and also had the jeans issue!!!I wasn't able to find jeans that fit well until my teen years! Now I'm dealing with the same issue with my Son.he's 9, and weighs 102.but his doctor is not concerned with it much at all, he said it fits with his growth patterns and family height /weight History. So I'm just trying to keep an eye on his snacking and making sure he gets plenty of exercise. We've Been making sure he gets at least 60 mins of outdoor playtime a day and making sure there isn't much junk food in the House. As my Son will just eat and eat and eat, constantly!!I was the same way so I guess it's just a family lifestyle change for us. But your welcome to send me a request and I'll support you! :-)0
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Other than talking to your Doc, which has already been suggested, how about encouraging the rest of the family to eat healthier snacks. Plus if everyone else is snacking all the time, you can't blame her for wanting to do it too. She's learning by what she sees. If healthier options are available, and in site/reach, everyone may be more likely to reach for them, instead of the higher calorie snacks. Learn how to make healthier, lower calorie foods, that taste good, and try to engage her in some physical activity. That way you can both get some exercise in. I was very overweight as a kid, and teasing, or making me feel bad about it never helped. Looking back, I think if my Mom would have approached my weight as a health/educational thing, it would have helped. If only I knew then what I know now. Make sure fruits and veggies are available, and put up the higher calorie foods, but allow her to have them from time to time, maybe a couple times/week.
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My step-daughter just turned ten years old, is 4'3" and her last doctor weigh-in was 100 pounds. Her biological family has a history of obesity though (her grandmother and aunt live with her and her other mother and they are all severely overweight). She also likes fruits and veggies and when we go out she drinks water with lemon, but she is a total grazer with food as well. She loves goldfish crackers but I have resorted to buying the 1 oz snack bags because she will eat a normal sized bag in one sitting! So, I hear ya.
We limit junk food in the house (organic tortilla chips and yogurt are the only "snack" foods that come to mind) so she has to eat fruit or prepare something (and it's either pb & j or raisin bran crunch - only cereal she will eat). We have a Wii with the balance board, and recently purchased a stair stepper with resistant bands per my doctor's suggestion. She loves the Wii Fit and will play Just Dance 4 for a good hour.
I am trying to teach her portion control and serving sizes and "eat this, not that". She has just started drinking soda after 10 years, but she is limited to one a day (one bottle, or one glass if we are at a restaraunt - no refills). I think it is like someone else mentioned, that she will eat and eat regardless of what you give for food. I am trying the route of explaining serving sizes and how many calories she should be aiming for vs eating my whole kitchen. She seems to be getting it. She is very much into watching The Biggest Loser so I am lucky that she is not tuning me out just yet. I, like you, don't want to give my child a complex and want to attack from the 'healthy' standpoint not tell her she needs to lose weight..0 -
ok, i think you've been given lots of good advice already. but, as someone who has worked with children, and who intends to become a teacher, if you think there's any chance she is regularly getting extra food from other kids at school, it's totally appropriate to shoot her teacher and e-mail or give her a call and ask if she's ever noticed it. things like that shouldn't be allowed anyway, and i'd certainly ask the teacher to be discreet about keeping an eye on her at snack time, but she wouldn't be the first child to steal/beg/trade with other students for food. most school's will have rules against this anyway due to children with dietary restrictions.
also, whether her weight is currently a problem or not, a desire to eat non-stop may be a sign of a medical or emotional problem. and it certainly could cause her weight to become a problem when she gets older if it isn't something that she will outgrow.
someone also mentioned the weight gain being a precursor to puberty, and even at 7, that is certainly a possibility. if she is developing breasts, the possibility of this being the issue (or part of it) is significantly higher. girls with a higher body fat percentage than "normal" tend to reach puberty earlier as well. girls generally reach menarche about 2 years after their breasts start to develop, and it's estimated that around 10% of girls in the US start to menstruate by age 10. although if this is what's going on, it's less a "problem" than it is "something to prepare for". the average age of menarche seems to be dropping due to a combination or dietary and environmental factors, but if you or either of her grandmother's started menstruating at a young age, the chances that she will enter puberty earlier than "normal" is much higher.
i hope everything turns out alright for her!0 -
Researchers speculate that TV competes with the physical activity of all children who watch the most programming, because they were the least active, according to a study in Obesity Research. Most of the time spent on the couch is only half the problem.The content of commercials may also have a negative effect. Preschoolers watched 21% more fast-food ads on TV in recent year than they did in past few years. And there’s reason to believe that advertising is working.
In general, the children who sat down to dinner as a family were less likely to be obese, ate more nutritious meals, so it’s just as important to clear their evening schedules as yours.
Extra schoolwork could increase your kid’s weight, too. It’s not unheard of for high school students to skip lunch in order to get in to extra classes who regularly ate school lunch were nearly 30% more likely to be obese than those who brown-bagged it. “Kids who buy lunch are not being supervised, so insteaueeze in an extra class, and missing meals can cause you to overeat .
One of the reason is "Lack of family food".0 -
my mom let me eat whatever I wanted and stuffed me , so I became a chubby kid.
Fat cells can expand in numbers when they are kids/teenagers and it will remain there their entire lives.
It'll make it 10 x tougher for her to lose fat(weight) when she's a teenager and she starts to care about her weight.
I recommend that you teach her 'healthy' way of eating with good portion control early on.
I wish my parents taught me this earlier.
You can't expect your daughter to 'slim out' as she grows older. Bad eating habits will stick her entire life. Fix it while she's young.0 -
if she doesn't play sports now, get her engaged in sports so she's surrounded by 'fit' kids.
It's a positive environment as unless she wants to do sumo or powerlift, there's no sports where 'excess fat ' = good.
She will become more competetive, fitter, and healthy conscious as she gets older.
Please choose a comepetive sport that you daughter would like and slowly get her engaged, let it be soccer/lacross anything.0 -
and also what should I do to address constant hunger. She seriously would match how much my husband eats (he's 6'2) in one sitting if allowed.
You have just described me as a child. What saved me was activity--try to get her interested in something physical. Move, move, move.
Also, is she maybe getting ready for a growth spurt? Lots of kids put on weight before they shoot up a couple of inches.0 -
I have no idea if this will help you or not. I have a friend who recently married a lovely woman with daughters...one of whom was overweight. This friend runs every single day. He started taking the girls running with him around a local school track on sunday mornings. He told them that he has to run so that he can have his sunday pastry. They now run together all the time and only get a pastry on sundays. It has helped the little girl get more active, see food in a healthier way and as she is growing taller she is slimming down.
This is what we do as a family. I have been taking my 8 year old running with me (often she has ridden a scooter and sometimes she runs, other times she rides a bike) and am now pushing my 3 year old on her bike with training wheels on some of my runs. We are also starting the 8 year old with barbell squats. I make it fun for them by running to the park, letting them play, then hitting the gym and letting them play in the play room, then running back home, mostly on the weekends but some weekday mornings.
OP, if you are an active family, she is eating healthy food, and the blood work is coming back normal, then perhaps patience is in order. Have you always been active or is this something new? If the latter, then definitely give it time. If not, then check with a new doctor and see what he/she says.0 -
absolutely she should be checked out by a doctor. But assuming everything checks out, I just want to say that my overweight 7 year old became an obese teenager and a morbidly obese adult. I blame myself every day for that. If I could go back in time, I would find a way to stop that. I would not have any bad foods in the house, we would have taken walks every day. I would have worked to introduced healthier foods. I would do whatever it took to get her to a normal weight. Good luck to you and for her sake don't give up.0
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When I was a child I loved food. I would sneek it I loved it so much. I gaurantee that if you have ANY junk food in the house she's probably sneaking little snacks of her own on top of whatever you may be giving her. Get rid of it all. Frozen crap food, cookies, whatever. If she's getting food from kids at school I wouldn't worry about that to much, she's a girl and the embarassment of getting food from kids will soon outweigh her want to eat. I delt with that at a young age too. On another note, I did catch up to my weight by the time I hit high school and I was fine. It's only in recent life that I've ben struggleing with weight again. It's good that your concerend now and trying to do somthing about it, I wish my parents had been. Keep researching and working with her.
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My 9 year old tracks right along with us. He now reads nutritional labels himself, and makes choices based on them. We live in a world of over—abundant food choices, and I view making good food decisions a basic skill that kids should start developing at a young age.0
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What kind of foods do you have in the house? If there are only healthy foods around, eating is going to be far less exciting for her, and there will be less temptation to have a 2nd or 3rd.
And limit her to one snack. If she's had her snack already, she's done until the next meal no matter who else is having a snack. She doesn't need to eat just because someone else is.0 -
Yes, definitely have her checked for food allergies/intolerances/etc.
2ish years ago I found out I had celiac disease and I most likely have had it my entire life. When I eliminated gluten from my diet, I couldn't believe how much my stomach area went down. I was bloated constantly, but I didn't realize it because I had been that way for as long as I could remember. Also, she might be constantly hungry because she's craving nutrients. With celiac disease, the lining of the intestines is damaged and doesn't absorb nutrients from like a healthy intestinal tract would.
Until recently the prevailing wisdom was that celiac disease patients were underweight and you couldn't be both celiac AND overweight, leading a lot of people to be misdiagnosed. In the last few years that has thankfully changed. It can be diagnosed with a blood draw.0 -
Also set a limit to how many snacks she can have. Choose this number with her so she feel like she has a say. Make a sticker chart and every time she ants a snack she puts a sticker on it. When it is full and she asks for another snack, point to the chart and tell her she has used up all her snacks for the day, and can have more tomorrow.maybe first you could concentrate on getting her more active and away from the snack area.
Don't have the junk snack around so much have fresh fruit available. With less junk snacks she might start reaching for an apple or banana instead. ......just ideas.0 -
I didn't read through all the responses so apologies if this is was already said.
What types of food are you feeding her? Could she be hungry because she's eating too many cheap carbs,/not enough fibrous veggies, good fats and proteins?
Also, in regards to her trying to double up on snacks, establish ONE set time a day in which snacks are available. Everyone in the house snacks at the same time, and has the same thing. That way she never feels singled out, or excluded, or picked on.
I actually WOULD mention something to her teacher, (if, after speaking with her pediatrician it's determined that her food intake must be limited) the teacher could make a tactful, class-wide announcement that snack-sharing is to be discouraged, because of unknown allergies or whatever reason she wants to give. Your daughter would never have to know that it was about her.0 -
Also set a limit to how many snacks she can have. Choose this number with her so she feel like she has a say. Make a sticker chart and every time she ants a snack she puts a sticker on it. When it is full and she asks for another snack, point to the chart and tell her she has used up all her snacks for the day, and can have more tomorrow.maybe first you could concentrate on getting her more active and away from the snack area.
Don't have the junk snack around so much have fresh fruit available. With less junk snacks she might start reaching for an apple or banana instead. ......just ideas.
A little problem I see with that is that stickers are universally a reward for kids (kids love them and love picking them out). So this would inadvertently set-up a reward system for eating snacks. Now maybe if she did smthg a certain numbers of times per day to EARN the snack, then stickers would be okay.0 -
If stickers are a problem, have her initial the box instead. I don't like the idea of setting up food as a reward for doing something. There are possible food issues in that approach as well.
Also set a limit to how many snacks she can have. Choose this number with her so she feel like she has a say. Make a sticker chart and every time she ants a snack she puts a sticker on it. When it is full and she asks for another snack, point to the chart and tell her she has used up all her snacks for the day, and can have more tomorrow.maybe first you could concentrate on getting her more active and away from the snack area.
Don't have the junk snack around so much have fresh fruit available. With less junk snacks she might start reaching for an apple or banana instead. ......just ideas.
A little problem I see with that is that stickers are universally a reward for kids (kids love them and love picking them out). So this would inadvertently set-up a reward system for eating snacks. Now maybe if she did smthg a certain numbers of times per day to EARN the snack, then stickers would be okay.0 -
My niece is the same way. Talk to your pediatrician without her being present. Let them know all of your concerns. It could be a chemical imbalance in her. My niece is starting to see an Endocrinologist. That could be something that you could look into.0
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If stickers are a problem, have her initial the box instead. I don't like the idea of setting up food as a reward for doing something. There are possible food issues in that approach as well.
Also set a limit to how many snacks she can have. Choose this number with her so she feel like she has a say. Make a sticker chart and every time she ants a snack she puts a sticker on it. When it is full and she asks for another snack, point to the chart and tell her she has used up all her snacks for the day, and can have more tomorrow.maybe first you could concentrate on getting her more active and away from the snack area.
Don't have the junk snack around so much have fresh fruit available. With less junk snacks she might start reaching for an apple or banana instead. ......just ideas.
A little problem I see with that is that stickers are universally a reward for kids (kids love them and love picking them out). So this would inadvertently set-up a reward system for eating snacks. Now maybe if she did smthg a certain numbers of times per day to EARN the snack, then stickers would be okay.
Very true.0 -
I know this may be overly simplistic, but I really think that for most kids who have issues with eating it is actually a control issue. My son (8) is a super picky eater who wants to snack constantly and turns up his nose at most meals, he loves the control of picking what he wants and doesn't like being told what to eat.
I recommend giving your daughter the feeling of more control by making a FAMILY snack chart, and asking the whole family for input. What snacks does everyone want? How many should be allowed each day, and of what kind? For example: 1 cookie, 2 veggies, 2 fruits, 1 cheese stick per person. No one has to eat all their snacks, but they can't have 3 cookies. Make the chart on a laminated poster or white board and encourage your daughter to help everyone keep track of their snacks with a dry erase marker so the chart can be reused daily or weekly.
By giving her control and making it a family project you will raise her awareness without singling her out, and give her an important job monitoring the family's eating habits. Kids at this age want responsibility, so she might enjoy this.0 -
My just 8yo weighs 77lb, but he is over 6 inches taller than your daughter. His BMI (which I don't really believe in) is just under 18. He would graze all day, but that's not how we run.
We eat all meals at the dining table - doesn't matter what it is, we sit at the table, so I know exactly what and when the children are eating. I don't allow snacks after a certain time because they won't eat dinner.
We walk or cycle to and from school 3 km/day.
We swim at least once a week, usually more.
He does karate twice a week.
DH and I are active - DH cycles to work most days, I go to the gym and I'm about to start dance classes.
My other children don't do karate, but they also swim and do a second activity of their choice. As has already been said, to begin with, I would try to find something active to do with your daughter together. It wouldn't hurt to take her to the doctor, but I wouldn't immediately jump to the conclusion that there's a metabolic issue.0 -
My son eats constantly. However, he has adhd and is extremely active. Even when he plays video games, he can't be sedentary, he is constantly moving, jumping, pacing, etc. He is not by any means overweight though. I have to buy slender pants for him. One thing that I have done since he could ask for snacks though, which he does all-the-time, is make him aware of his own intakes by general food types. After school I allow 1 or 2 his choice snacks in appropriate portions, depending on activities for the day. Those are his junky food snacks. After that, he has to have a healthy snack and water. If he argues, I remind him what he had for his treats and let him know too much of anything is not healthy.
She is at an age where she can begin to understand basic dietary concepts. And I would use it as an educational opportunity to get her on a healthy track. Say things like "have a healthy snack now, how about yogurt, it's good for strong bones", or "how about an apple, it helps clean your teeth and helps it not hurt when you poop"... Also introduce her to servings. If she wants Oreos, show her the label- 2 cookies is what the pack says, have it with some (low fat or fat free) milk. As a rule, for the most part, in my house if they eat a sweet, milk must accompany it. That will also help with portion control and teach her to savor what she has, instead of inhale as kids sometimes do by nature.
No snacks an hour before dinner/meals. It's just a constant argument in my home with an impulsive child. But that is a solid rule I put my foot down on. If they just can't survive until dinner, I say grab a glass of water or milk. Snack again when you're done if you're still hungry.
What happens at school, you can't do much. But at home, if she insists on snacks every time you offer visitors, then start to only offer low cal and/or healthy options.
Set the example, guide and educate on her level. Keep up the activities. Stay positive and good luck.0 -
what I do with my kids (I have 3 sons 4, 5, and 7) they get breakfast at 7am, then lunch at 11am, then snack 3:30pm, then dinner at 6pm, and rarely dessert, they know this is snack time or meal time, any other time the kitchen is off limits, and they only get milk or juice at a meal time, the rest of the day they can have water, and the rules are the same for parents to its not unfair0
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