Overweight Children

Since he has a health reason to be over weight and to not gain a lot of height and you've been at it for over 4 months now... I think it's time to go back to the Doctor and have them refer you to a nutritionist and/or dietician and create a healthy diet plan for him, that won't be hard to follow as a kid in Jr. High (for example they can teach him how to pick from the school menu or fast food joint if he's out with friends)

Times have changed and 1 out 3 children are obese today and not from a health issues but from poor diet and lack of exercise and it is seriously time for the parents to take action and stop saying they'll out grow it! I am very impressed with you because you are seeking answers to help your baby have a decent childhood and to get him healthy so he can live a long life... you're a good mom!

Even fat shaming in the name of genuine health concern can have lasting effects on children that age. Puberty may have some effect on him, especially since testosterone can help boost muscle development. Keep him enrolled in sports and activities that he genuinely enjoys. I'd read through some of the stories on Catay's "I was a fat kid... and this is my story" under the family section, to get an understanding of how real people (during youth) reacted to their family's panic over their fat childhood and how they wished things would have been handled instead.

I'd try not to make a big deal about it. If other than the thyroid issues, which likely caused the weight gain and not vice versa, he's a healthy kid, then don't worry so much. Don't make him feel isolated or punished for a body he can't control while his physiology is already changing and confusing. It's pretty normal at his age and if natural food choices are readily available to him, he will eat them. Maybe you could try baking sweets at home using coconut flour and almond meal, honey/fruit/stevia+monk fruit sweeteners, etc. Homemade is good, and a quick google search will find some awesome and healthy sweets packed with protein and fiber as opposed to empty calories that won't fill you up.

We have a slightly different version of this problem, in that my 10 year old stepson is obese and very inactive, but lives primarily with his mom and step-dad who eat a lot of fried foods, no fresh fruits and veggies, etc. When he is with us he doesn't have access to soda, has veggies with every meal (though this is a huge struggle, as the only ones he's accustomed to eating are corn and peas), and we are active daily. But it feels like a losing battle and breaks my heart to see him heavier every time we get him. I hate the idea that if he continues on this track he is likely to start having chronic health problems by the time he reaches adulthood.

Rather than focusing on what he shouldn't eat, help empower him by involving him in meal planning, shopping, and preparation. 12 seems like a good age to start learning how to cook. Obviously you won't send him out to fire up the grill by himself, but he can start helping. Summer is a great time to do this because it's so easy to find fresh, delicious foods at this time of year. You can take him to farmers' markets, where he can learn more about where food comes from and maybe get to sample some fruits and vegetables he's not as familiar with.

Hopefully he'll have a health class sometime in middle school, but you could even start talking to him about what protein, carbs, fats, and the different vitamins and minerals help our bodies to do. He's at an age where he can start thinking of food as fuel to help him rather than just something that tastes good.

Starting to build healthy habits now will really help him when he goes to college and starts life on his own. I teach at a college, and I see a lot of students struggling to learn how to eat on their own because they've never had to worry about their own nutrition before. I've actually started making food the theme for one of my units in my composition course because it's something I think is important for them to think, talk, and write about. I want to help them make more informed decisions.

You do have to take in account the pre-puberty weight gain EVERY guy experiences. You already know this isn't the cause of all his weight, but perhaps it's the reason for the continual gain despite being on medication now?

You must take him to see a paediatrician - preferably a specialist in his condition. Get a second opinion if you have to. Putting him on a diet may be an option, but it needs to be under the supervision of a doctor who understands your son's condition. Additionally, the thyroid meds might not be quite right for him, so a consultation with a specialist IMO is necessary, he may need to be on different meds. A friend of mine's son was born with a thyroid problem (diagnosed at birth) and was on the wrong kind of thyroid meds for 6 months and basically didn't grow or develop right in that time... further visits to specialist doctors, they got to the bottom of the problem, changed his meds and he began growing and developing normally, although he took a while to catch up in his development, he was about 6 months behind in his development for quite a while. But this is definitely something you need to get a doctor's advice about - getting your son's condition treated properly, and also the issue of whether he needs to be on a diet.

Gaaaaah I just realized that it was a necro thread. Damn, people.

Haha maybe it would encourage the OP to post an update?