8 yr old son intrigued ... wants to join MFP. Opinions??

Hi

from what I've seen in the past you need to be 16 to join MFP, the admin deletes anyone under this age.

I don't think it would be the best idea.

It's easy to get obsessed with something like this, which is great for people like us who may need it, but not so healthy for somebody so young.

I'm sure you could find an age appropriate site for him to enjoy maybe you could use it with him, but concentrating on weight at 8 really I don't think would be a good thing. Also there are a lot of topics on here that are too much for children.
Hope you find some fun on the net to share together.

My kids wanted to join too. They're 8, 10, and almost 13 (the oldest is a girl and at that stage where she's so self conscious about her weight even though she's not overweight). We took that as an opportunity to help them build a healthy lifestyle for themselves.

We talked to them about what it takes for them to stay healthy. We reminded them that they need to make healthy food choices and only eat as much as their bodies need. That means taking small servings and only going back for seconds if they are truly still hungry. We have taught them over the years to love fruits and veggies (we rarely have cookies or chips in the house, and they are perfectly happy to go for apples, celery, carrots, and broccoli instead) and so we reminded them what foods are best for their body. We're also helping them identify if they're hungry or just bored. For example, if they have to turn off the tv and then they immediately ask for food, we remind them to think about if they're really hungry. We also are encouraging them to drink more water throughout the day. As our pediatrician has recommended, we make no food completely off-limits. Even soda is allowed as an occasional treat, but they are learning the difference between once in a while foods and foods that are part of their regular diet.
We've also talked about how physical activity is good for their body - and not just regarding weight. They are naturally active kids, even though we can't get them into soccer or karate or anything. They ride bikes and run and play outside every day, so when they ask about if they need exercise, we let them know they are already doing that, but they are welcome to join us in our routines, too, if they want.
When they ask about fitnesspal or weight or calories in a food, we remind them that the goal is to build healthy habits for a healthy lifestyle, and that the website just helps us get back into those habits. But it is a family effort, and they join us with all of that.

I also looked up appropriate calorie intake for kids their age, size, and activity level. It was around 1800-2200 calories a day. Remember, at this age, the normal goal is to be gaining weight as they grow, so make sure your son doesn't feel anxious about that. (Even when a child is overweight, the normal goal is to maintain the weight as he grows into it, but that would be something to discuss with your doctor). I told my children their calorie goals, and sometimes they ask how many calories are in a food, but now they understand that they need to eat enough - just the right kind of calories.

(Afterthought : like I said, my almost 13-year-old is starting to feel self conscious because she is putting on weight - that normal weight that all girls put on in puberty - so I told her that when we go to the doctor for her next checkup in a few months, she can ask about where she should be in weight and calories. But she is also watching us make healthy changes and still eat real food and not spend all day at the gym, so I think our example will help her as she goes through her teen years. But no, I don't think it would be good for her to use mfp at this point)

My son is about to turn 8 and no way would i let him on here to track his calories... I see that as my job for him. We give him breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner. He should not worry about calories or the level of exercise he is doing.

He and his 6 year old brother eat basically the same things we eat, unless Grandma has them for the day and then they get some chicken fingers and french fries.

Since football practice has started I have made a effort to boost the amount of protein they are taking in to support the killer workout that practice is... I also make sure they get some good carbs and plenty of sleep.

Talk to his doctor. Don't encourage a dangerous obsession. At 8, a child shouldn't even be thinking about these things. ESPECIALLY if he's a healthy weight and active.

I think you're already doing it right, I don't think he needs to learn how to be obsessed over every bite he takes in

Possible 'negative', long term effects aside, I'm rather concerned that a parent would allow such a young child to access a totally adult orientated site.

You should let him, except that it's against the rules. But how guilty will you feel if he turns out to be overweight?

If he is overweight in 10 years then by all means let him sign up!

You're right. We're all overweight because we weren't allowed to obsess over calories at 8 years old.

if your sons is interested in "tracking" I DO NOT think MFP is the place. But I think this would be a good place.

the PALA Challenge..... Nickelodeon has a "Move it, Log it, Earn it" program.

http://www.nick.com/nick-assets/thebighelp/rtwwdop/pdf/pala-log.pdf

Since he is 8 I am betting that he just wants to do it because he hears mom and dad doing it... Something like /\ /\ /\ this would let him feel involved but keep it on a kid level.

Also as a health teacher I think you might give him a food pyramid and track how many food groups he's eating everyday. This would be a healthy way for him "track" his food while keeping it the focus on health and not on calories. There are several teaching aides that you could buy like these http://search.constructiveplaythings.com/toys/Food Pyramid that could help him but when he becomes bored with it (which I bet he will) just let it go. I would enrich him while he's interested in a healthy way but wouldn't push him once he loses interest.

Teaching your child to count calories isn't a good idea but twisiting it into a teaching moment about good health and exercise is a great idea!

Hope this helps!!

I'm going to play devil's advocate.

I think it could be a good thing, as long as you monitor his activity on the site and talk to him about it as he logs.

In other words, direct his focus on the things he should be learning about - balancing his fat, carbs, and proteins, and making food choices that will keep his diet balanced. Let him help plan meals for the family by logging together as a family and making choices that fit into the dietary needs of all three of you. Logging activity calories is positive reinforcement for being active. And best of all, it's something you can all do together and share as a family, and will help him develop healthy eating habits as he grows into a teen, when kids have more leeway into making their own choices.

Just because he participates on MFP doesn't necessarily mean he'll be obsessed with calories or how he looks. Just help him focus on balance, moderation, and nutrition instead. Start dialogues with him about healthy snack choices and let him put some choices in his 'favorites list'.

As someone pointed out, there are other sites that are more "kid friendly" and that could be an option too. But I suspect he wants to share this with his parents, and use the 'grown up' version.

If he is getting interested in you guys doing this, he may think of it as a game you guys are not playing with him. He shouldn't be using this sort of system at his age due to the long lasting effects this could have. If he thinks of this as a game perhaps a Nintendo DS with a food game might solve his obsession.