From Geraldine, Child's Age 12 - 03/13/11 - IP#: 91.104.155.xxx Click here to reply
My daughter is overweight and she knows iit. She is around 140 lbs and although she is growing she is gaining quite alot. I am concerned as her brother calls her "pig" and no maatter what I say to him, he wont stop. This is worrying me as anorexia and bullimia run in our family and I don't want my child to get either of these. Although she is quite tall fo her age, she is double the weight of some of her friends. She participate in PE, Netball, running and also cycles and plays football and rugby at the weekend, however she pig outs alot. She says she'd like to be 100lbs, but that is much too thin, considering she is also very stocky built. And one last thing- is it possible that she is just very stocky built, she can lift one friend on each arm???????? Thank you Please reply
Reply from Lucy - 03/26/11 - IP#: 73.113.21.xxx First, maintain open communication with your daughter. This is an age where she will be struggling with confidence and body image regardless of her weight, and being able to discuss this openly with her will be of great help. It sounds like she does quite a lot of physical activity, but perhaps takes in more calories than she puts out. There is a weight calculator on the site so you can see where she falls for her age and height. Discuss with her why she “pigs out”. Does she feel extra hungry after workouts? Is she stressed or bored? Talk to her about trying to make healthier food choices, and offer encouragement when she does. Try to replace some of the higher calorie, low nutrition snacks in the house with flavorful, colorful and healthy alternatives that don’t require her to do a lot of prep work. As far as the brother teasing your daughter, if just telling him to stop isn’t working, perhaps there needs to be some form of punishment that will convince him to stop. For example, each time he calls her a name, he has to do dishes, or cannot play a certain video game. Siblings do normally fight, but if you feel this is beyond what is normal, then you need to take further action.
Reply from Robert - 03/25/11 - IP#: 71.212.11.xxx There is a weight calculator on this site, on the upper row on the home page, to determine if children are overweight. Teasing by a sibling might produce stress, which can result in the child turning to food for comfort, a vicious cycle. Being receptive to talking with a child who has a weight issue is the best approach. As one 12 year old , 186 lb., said, "If parents would simply take the time to listen to their kids, less kids would go to the fridge when depressed." Good luck.
