From Brent, Child's Age 15 - 01/20/02 - IP#: 207.218.210.xxx Click here to reply
My son has been having a lot of trouble with his weight recently. He was fine until he was about 13(He weighed somewhere around 130 and wore size 28 jeans) He had hardly any gut at all, but now its huge. He also started coming to me asking to wear my clothes, saying that his were too small. I wear size 34 jeans. We don't own a scale, so I didn't know how much he weighed until a couple of days ago when I took him to the doctor for a checkup. I was alarmed when he weighed in at 180 lbs. I had no idea he was that bad off. He only weighs a few pounds less than me. He doesn't complain about this, but I can tell that it bothers him, especially his gut. How can I help him get rid of it, and how can I get him to open up to me about it?
Reply from Josh, Child's Age 14 - 04/17/02 - IP#: 66.82.99.xxx One of my sons, Tim, is 14, 5'0", 216lbs. He began to grow like this just a year or so ago. He began to gain weight very quickly, and he is still going. I hadn't noticed is bulging belly until just recently, because in our demograpic, he looks normal! His older brother is always taking him out for McDonalds without us knowing it, and he somehow manages to go through a week eating nothing but M&Ms, hamburgers and donuts, which I have thouroughly protested against, but his brother and mother are helping him. I barely ever see them, so I don't have any way of letting them know, but Tim is always eating. His waist is reaching 53 inches, far above mine, and at his current rate of about 4 to 6 pounds a week, and 1 a day on weekends and holidays, his waist will go above his height! I am greatly concerned. The worst indicator was when his desk at school literally collapsed! I can't seem to do anything about Tim, since he says he buys lots of fast food for lunch at school, because he says he is always hungry. I have reached the last size of clothing from the store for him. In about a month or less, we may have to get another way of buying clothes! What should I do? I simply can't get him to stop gaining, no matter what I try. Help!
Reply from Miss adams at adams uni, Child's Age 10 - 02/01/02 - IP#: 62.7.127.xxx I am a collage teacher of the human body and due to reasearch i have been doing over my past 4 years working here i have come against many of overweight pupils in my uni and i am helping them all to loose the weight they desire. we have a weekly check-up and We make diet and exersize plans for each week. A lot of these pupils have became very skinny after my two yeARS of doing this but they have became very healthyt and just come to help the new people who have joined. try this, but make it fun. like take him swimming or to a theme park for the exersize and just organize something with your son about the eating plan, it does work, i have proof.
Reply from Sue, Child's Age 12 - 01/23/02 - IP#: 62.64.221.xxx Brent, According to the height/weight chart on this site, your son for his height should be between 109 and 154 pounds. That would make him about 30 pounds overweight, which I don't think is excessive. Remember, he may still be growing. I wouldn't worry too much if I were you. My daughter had a similar amount to lose. We kept to a calorie and fat controlled diet and she lost the weight at about 1-2 a week over a 3-4 month period. This sort of diet probably wouldn't suit a 15 year old boy where you can't watch too closely what he is eating. If you can, get him to exercise more, especially stomach exercises and cut out some of the rubbish in his diet i.e. junk food, potato chips, assuming he is eating that stuff. If he isn't then you have to look more closely at his daily food intake. Are the portions too large? Is there too much fat in his diet? He may also have a slow metabolism, which can be caused by eating the wrong foods. Do a little research yourself. There is loads of stuff on the Internet. I don't think at this point he has a huge problem. You have probably spotted it in time before it develops into something more serious.
Reply from Brent, Child's Age 15 - 01/22/02 - IP#: 207.218.210.xxx My son is 5'8" tall.
Reply from Sue, Child's Age 12 - 01/22/02 - IP#: 62.64.223.xxx Getting your child to 'open up about it' is difficult especially since 15 is quite a sensitive age. Maybe try and explain to him the health problems he maye experience if he continues to gain weight. He may have had a growth spurt and at 15 is still growing so that could partly explain the weight gain. You don't say how tall he is. If he is over 6 feet then he probably isn't that overweight. He may just look worse because his stomach is big, in which case exercises could help to try and tone the tummy muscles. Lots of teens, boys and girls, take a while to lose the 'child's tummy'. I wouldn't put him on too drastic a diet, maybe just cut out the rubbish foods like fast food, potato chips, desserts etc, or even just cut down on them.
