From Ann, Child's Age 8 - 03/29/10 - IP#: 62.24.251.xxx Click here to reply
Hiya guys, As an obese single mum I am very concerned about my daughters weight. My job involves sitting at a computer all day and i usually eat a lot whilst doing my job. I'll go through 10 packets of potato chips a day and I'll have a pie for lunch maybe a snadwich as a snack and i mostly drink coca cola. Im really concerned as my daughter is 8 and weighs 111 lbs and she seems to be copying my eaating habits and going through potato chips, donuts, yogurts, ice cream and candy as fast as me. She has a ginormous gut like me and it hangs right over her pants. What should I do? I know its just a bit of puppy fat but I don't want her to end up 84lbs overweight like me!
Reply from Kellie, Child's Age 10 - 04/08/10 - IP#: 96.228.3.xxx I'm also a single mom, and I have a daughter, age 10. In my opinion, your daughter is probably imitating your eating habits. Children learn by a parent's example, and I have found that they pay much more attention to what we actually do, rather than what we say. Even though I don't have a significant weight problem, I used to have a tendency to purchase a lot of junk food when I got groceries. When my daughter started putting on extra weight, I decided to STOP BUYING junk food. That one simple thing has prevented her from continuing to put on weight. After all, if there's no junk food in your house, YOUR CHILD CAN'T EAT IT. We now snack on fresh fruits and vegetables at home, instead of chips and cookies. I feel much healthier and have more energy, and my daughter's weight has stabilized. What you eat at work will still be up to you, but at least you can control what your daughter eats at home.
Reply from Ashlie - 04/07/10 - IP#: 96.39.148.xxx Kids often mimic their parents eating habits since eating habits are a learned behavior. The best chance of success for your daughter is if you can become a good role model in how you eat and exercise. Simply telling her what or how she should eat will not work if she sees that you don't follow your own advice. However, kids can be quite motivated to change if they see their parents making an effort to improve their lifestyle too. Good luck!
