Thread: Need help with over weight child

If she is overweight and has a medical condition... you should be sure to enlist the help of both a doctor and a nutritionist so that first and foremost all weightloss attempts are done in a way that doesn't jeopordize her health and is safe.

Kids are impulsive, you can't have cookies and celery in the house and expect them to make the right choice... so get rid of all the junk food... if you have other kids, your husband, anyone that brings in stuff its time for a big family meeting to discuss how you will all be getting healthy together. Do not single your daughter out and say that this is her fault that they all can't have mcdonalds anymore... or tell them they can still have candy while she can't. If you want her to be successful its going to have involve everyone... including you. Even if you don't need to lose wieght, even if no one else its important that she not feel singled out, she will be resentful and yes... will look for any opportunity to eat junk and / or eat excessivley. It will give her a sense of control when others are trying to tell her what she can't and can't eat... so don't let it turn into that.

So go through your pantry and fridge and get rid of all the bleached sugars and junk and chips and greasy things , fill your kitchen with fresh fruits, pre-chopped veggies and low-cal dressing some in little grab-n-go bags since kids love convienence foods. Get rid of the sodas and high calorie juices, punches etc.

Get active TOGETHER. Go for a walk every day, go for a hike, ride bikes together, teach her a sport , take a dance class ... just anything active !!

Keep a positive attitude and make sure to talk about you guys getting HEALTHY together, make it about a family effort to health rather than.. susie needs to lose weight, it will take the pressure off her and make her more willing to participate when she knows its because its good for everyone, not just her.

Thanks so much for your input. I have tried that in the past with Farm food veggies and fruit,they would go bad. I will give this a try again,off the the market.

I am going to agree with what most everyone has said. I was overweight most of my life, but you really need to talk to your child. I mean, I had a lot going on and I did (and still do occassionally) turn to food for comfort. It's hard being a teen but especially when you don't fit in. I honestly would maybe suggest some counseling and encouragement in your home as well. Like others said, get active as a family. Do active things outside when you can like walking, biking, etc. Get her involved in a sport (if she's interested) or in doing some dance videos or something at home to get up and move around more. Also learn portion sizes and make small changes to start with. Like the guy said above, you can't fix it overnight, but you can help. I didn't learn to eat healthy until I had control of my own food so make sure everyone is eating healthy, and encourage your child to eat well and to not rely on food to fix things. That's the hardest part.

Good luck!