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From Deborah, child's age 8

Hello. I'm new to this site. My daughter is turning 8 next week and is a beautiful, vibrant little girl. she is also a full head taller and considerably heavier than all the other children in her second grade class. She is 'big all over', not just chubby. She is very strong, and is muscular. In addition, she has recently begun pre-pubertal development (pubic hair, breasts beginning). Her self esteem is taking a nose dive and I don't know what to do.We did have her blood work done and the first time, it showed a TSH of 18...very high, apparently. Reference range says 4 is maximum. Other enzymes were all over the map too, apparently. Second and third rounds of blood work however seemed to normalize, and the pediatrician said not to worry, she is just in early puberty. Her enjoyment of life is really going downhill. She has decided she won't participate in a field trip to the swimming pool with her class tomorrow. Too embarassing, she says, with her "yucky hair" and her "fat belly". We tell her in a thousand ways how beautiful she is, and we can't get through. The messages she gets from everywhere else are stronger, I guess. She is also a perfectionist, and compares herself poorly to others at times. How does one put a child on a diet? The pediatrician said she would never want us to do that, although she said our daughter was definitely overweight. Our child is active...2 dance classes a week, gymnastics class, walking to and from school...what else can we do? I think she is lovely, and strong, and powerful. She only wants to look like the petite 7 year old girls in her class. Ideas?Thanks.