Small children and diets???

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stef_3
stef_3 Posts: 173
in Health and Weight Loss
I have a neighbor that put her 3 year old son on a diet because at his check-up his pediatrition said he was obese weighing in at 45lbs. My 4 year old just hit 40lbs. I'm glad she is trying to change the future outcome, but is it really necessary to put him on a diet? Wouldn't it be better to just gradually change the whole family's eating habits and start doing more active things? They are all somewhat over weight except the super skinny husband/father.
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  • fteale
    fteale Posts: 5,310 Member
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    I would applaud anyone who takes action on dealing with their children's weight. There are too many obese children around with oblivious parents.


    Saying that, my mother was forever putting me on diets when I was little, which I hated, as I had 3 sisters, and none of them ever had comments about their weight, or were made to eat less. I grew up thinking of myself as fat.
  • crittytn
    crittytn Posts: 34
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    I guess it depends on if she's following what her pediatrician said and what her son's diet was before she changed it. If he's eating all junk food and she's changing to a normal diet for a child, then it's a good thing. If she has him not eating enough calories for a growing child, then it's not a good thing.
  • lmelangley
    lmelangley Posts: 1,039 Member
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    I think it's wrong. I think you're right that modifying the eating/exercise habits of the family is actually the way to go. The problem with the word "diet" is that once you introduce the concept, all of the ugly, unnecessary implications come up, and it's too easy for your children to become obsessed with weight.

    That being said, it's only my opinion.
  • farrellb2
    farrellb2 Posts: 120
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    I wouldn't call it a diet see if she'll call it a lifestyle change, or even a healthier alternative, that's how I see my food changes.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
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    I have a neighbor that put her 3 year old son on a diet because at his check-up his pediatrition said he was obese weighing in at 45lbs. My 4 year old just hit 40lbs. I'm glad she is trying to change the future outcome, but is it really necessary to put him on a diet? Wouldn't it be better to just gradually change the whole family's eating habits and start doing more active things? They are all somewhat over weight except the super skinny husband/father.

    One of my closest friends was always on a parent-induced diet growing up, while the rest of the family (horribly obese themselves) ate whatever they wanted.

    This resulted in my friend becoming a serious emotional eater who would sneak food all the time and she now weighs north of 300 pounds at 5'3" and struggles constantly trying to lose it.

    I think your approach is a much healthier and effective approach, but unfortunately, it's not your child. :-(
  • emmabeckemeyer1
    emmabeckemeyer1 Posts: 298 Member
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    I think a combination of life style changes and diet changes should be made as a family. The child should not think he/she is on a diet. Think of his/her self esteem! Also stop putting children in front of the TV or video games!
  • skinniewannabe
    skinniewannabe Posts: 106 Member
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    I would think it depends on what you would call a diet. Since I started my diet, my 3 year old daughter's diet has changed drastically. Now, instead of cookies, which are no longer in the pantry, she is asking for oranges, yogurt or cheese strings.
  • blarics11
    blarics11 Posts: 88
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    I think it's wrong. I think you're right that modifying the eating/exercise habits of the family is actually the way to go. The problem with the word "diet" is that once you introduce the concept, all of the ugly, unnecessary implications come up, and it's too easy for your children to become obsessed with weight.

    That being said, it's only my opinion.



    I totally agree with you! When my husband and I started this we told our boys that we were all making a lifestyle change not a DIET!
    We told them that if we lost weight that would be great! but what is truely important is keeping our bodies, heart, etc. in a healthy state.
  • anvacarz
    anvacarz Posts: 58
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    My lifestyle change included my daughter. She eats what I eat or some kid-friendly variation. I don't limit what she has at other's homes but will put a stop to excess candy/junk. As long as she isn't telling the kid he's on a diet and she's leading by example, I don't see an issue with it. Healthy eating, awesome. Restricted eating? Not so much.
  • christy_frank
    christy_frank Posts: 680 Member
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    I thinks she needs to be careful and not call it a 'diet' and just change the overall family eating. I would limit his snacks or change what snacks are acceptable, but I would NEVER refer to it as a diet. She should refer to it as eating healthier and choosing healthier options and save the treats for special occassions.
  • sweetiepie31612
    sweetiepie31612 Posts: 240 Member
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    Obviously the best solution would be a lifestyle change for everyone. If everyone is not willing to make the change though, at least the child's food is being monitored. Putting the child on a diet is better than letting it go and allowing him to become even more obese. And the child is young enough that maybe being introduced to healthier foods now will allow him to make healthier decisions in the future when he can decide for himself what he's going to eat. The only thing I don't like is using the word "diet". If a kid grows up knowing they're on a diet, it can have a negative effect. I'd just be careful of that.
  • grassette
    grassette Posts: 976 Member
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    I would not put a child this young on a diet without guidance from a professional nutritionist. However what he IS eating should be scrutinized. Is the diet a healthy one for a 3 year old? Or is full of sugar cereals, candy, sweet breads and cakes, soft drinks, prepared foods? If it is, I would replace those with healthier alternatives including from-scratch cooking. I would also make sure the kid wasn't spending his days in front of the TV, but spent a healthy day outside.
  • trud72
    trud72 Posts: 1,912 Member
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    Kids get thier bad eating habits from thier parents and so put on weight in thier childhood and then into thier adult hood and then back onto thier kids!
    What is worse tho is when a parent eats healthy and feeds thier kids crap like waffles and chips and burgers and sausages instead of fruit and veggies come on this is not too much to bloody ask.. this is a super pet hate subject of mine....can't you tell! :mad:
  • Teksavvy
    Teksavvy Posts: 133 Member
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    the word "diet" is that once you introduce the concept, all of the ugly, unnecessary implications come up, and it's too easy for your children to become obsessed with weight.

    I agree. My daughter is 11 and becoming even more aware of body image. We have changed our eating habits as a family and term it "eating better" and "exercising (more)." I should delete the "more" because we weren't exercising. :wink:
  • Cruz2Fit
    Cruz2Fit Posts: 159 Member
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    My 10 year old boy was weighing around 140 lbs and wearing a 20 husky. I admit it, it was our fault! I taught him all of the bad eating habits I knew and also a love of sitting around inactive. His weight gain was a major driving force in my joining MFP and getting healthy and active. We are all on this new style of eating and living, not just him. Both of my children are taking the changes very well, as we have discussions on the reasons why we are choosing baked over fried, fruit over chips, etc... They understand there are times when we'll indulge a bit, but also know that cannot be the norm. We also discuss a relative who lives very far and is bed-ridden primarily due to obesity.

    IGNORING THE FACT THAT OUR CHILDREN ARE OBESE FOR THE SAKE OF NOT HURTING THEIR FEELINGS IS LIKE LETTING A BABY RIDE IN A VEHICLE WITHOUT A SEATBELT FOR FEAR S/HE WILL CRY! WE SHOULD WATCH CAREFULLY WHAT ALL OF OUR CHILDREN EAT, BUT BE TACTFUL IN OUR APPROACH. ALSO, NO CHILD SHOULD BE SINGLED OUT IN A FAMILY FOR A SEPARATE "DIET." THIS SHOULD BE A FAMILY LIFESTYLE!!!
  • peanut613
    peanut613 Posts: 438 Member
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    If the child is overweight and the pediatrician is concerned, than YES the parent needs to step in and fix the problem. That said, don't single out that child to eat differently than the rest of the family. It's the job of the parents to take a hard look at the foods in the house and make everyone eat better, go outside instead of tv/video games, etc. You don't want to damage the child's self esteem for being heavy, but you certainly want to fix the problem now.
  • stef_3
    stef_3 Posts: 173
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    I do applause that she is interested in helping him out. She said she grew up obese her whole life and doesn't want her child to go through what she did. Which is totally understandable. My problem is that she is calling it a diet and she lets the younger son eat junk in front of the 3 year old. Mind you the younger son is on his way to being obese as well, but I guess she doesn't see it until the pediatrition confirms it. They don't eat very healthy meals, because they buy what's cheapest so they don't spend a ton of money on groceries. I know she bragged this summer that her 11 month old ate 2 brats all by himself for dinner along with sides. I don't want to over step my boundaries, but I definitely think it should be something the whole family is doing.
  • PlunderBunneh
    PlunderBunneh Posts: 1,705 Member
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    That's pretty big for a 3 year old. I agree with all of the previous posters, obviously it would be better if eating habits were changed throughout the house, instead of just putting the kiddo on a diet.
    I try to make eating healthier a family affair, and we have always had limited television time. I still make my kids frozen waffles for breakfast, but we pair them with yogurt and fresh fruit. They still eat mac and cheese, but now I sneak in veggies like tomatoes, broccoli, and spinach. There was no way we could get rid of pbj sandwiches, but these days I use whole wheat bread and natural peanut butter. We are changing little things in hopes of them adding up to a big change without the kids noticing. If you have kids, you understand that most of the time, getting a 3 year old to eat anything new is a pain in the butt.
  • jessicajoy87
    jessicajoy87 Posts: 905
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    I don't put my kids on a diet but what I do is I make their favorite meals and I try to add veggies and make them more healthy. I also take them on walks with me. She probably should just encourage her kid to be more active. Make him go outside and play for an hour or take him on a walk with her. I think that is what most kids problem is these days is that they are stuck inside watching TV or playing video games that they don't get enough exercise in.
  • ckspores
    ckspores Posts: 52
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    If the child is obese then YES he absolutely needs to be on a diet. But, I agree there is a negative connotation associated with the word "diet" and will make people upset.

    But, call it what you will, if the doctor is concerned about the kid's weight he absolutely needs to lose weight, eat better and/or get more exercise. If you prefer "lifestyle change" that is fine but bottom line, the kid needs to shed some pounds.

    I think there are ways to change a child's diet and exercise habits without being insensitive and it simply includes slowly changing the foods that are given to him and suggest activities that don't involve sitting in front of the TV or computer. As kids, I think we are most easily influenced by routine and changing his habits may be far easier as a child than when he needs to lose weight as an adult.

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