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How do I put my 11-year-old on a diet?Every weekday, a CNNHealth expert doctor answers a viewer question. On Friday, it's Dr. Melina Jampolis, a physician nutrition specialist. Question asked by Asked by Lisa How do I put my 11-year-old daughter on a diet? She is 50 pounds overweight, though she only looks about 20 pounds over. She has a lot of muscle. She plays sports year-round. She is a picky, picky eater. She has asked to go on a diet, but I don't think that an 11-year-old should, even though it's unhealthy to be so overweight. I have told her she will need to give up sweetened drinks, sweet snacks and white bread products. Any other ideas that will not be too drastic but will show results?
Expert answer Hi Lisa. I answered your question a couple of months ago but I received some excellent feedback from pediatric endocrinologist Craig Rudlin MD, FAAP, so I wanted to expand on my answer and make a slight correction based on the information that Dr. Rudlin provided. A 2005 paper from the Pediatric Endocrine Society about childhood obesity suggested a more aggressive approach based on the associated health complications of overweight children, including high cholesterol, high blood pressure and pre-diabetes. Specifically, for children with a BMI (body mass index– here's a calculator) of 85-95 percent, rather than focusing on weight maintenance, as I previously stated, the paper recommends "a modified diet with decreased sedentary activities." They go on to recommend an even "more aggressive approach toward children and adolescents with BMI at or above the 95th percentile or in less obese children who suffer metabolic, orthopedic, or cardiopulmonary complications and/or psychological distress." Dr. Rudlin, who treats overweight and obese children, says the weight loss goal should be about 1 pound per week, and that some older children and teens can safely lose 2 pounds per week. When I expressed concerns about losing weight while children are still growing, he explained that a nutrient dense, portion-controlled diet, which he advocates rather than avoiding any particular food group, could actually improve growth. "If they are eating a balanced diet of all five food groups, they are getting all the nutrients, protein, calcium, vitamins they need and the weight loss is from the loss of adipose tissue, which is desirable." He also suggested measuring height every three months if this is a concern. Regarding my suggestion to eat more vegetables, he suggested that I emphasize that parents try to increase their children's consumption of non-starchy vegetables, especially green vegetables. If your child refuses to eat vegetables, try to re-introduce foods over the years as taste buds change. It is also critical to be a good role model and consume a variety of vegetables yourself on a regular basis. In addition to my previous suggestions, which included eating breakfast daily, increasing fiber intake and limiting juice consumption, here are a few more suggestions from the childhood obesity consensus paper that I think would be useful for you to adopt as a family to support your daughter's weight loss efforts. 1. Eat meals as a family in a fixed place and time. 2. Do not skip meals, especially breakfast. 3. No TV during meals. 4. Use small plates and keep serving dishes away from the table. 5. Avoid unnecessary sweet or fatty foods and soft drinks. 6. Remove televisions from children's bedrooms; restrict times for TV viewing and video games. And finally, although you mentioned that your daughter was very active in sports, make sure that she gets at least 60 minutes per day of exercise per the latest exercise guidelines for children. In case you need the reference, here is the consensus statement regarding childhood obesity. |
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For anyone but especially youngsters who need to diet, try emphasizing what should be eaten rather than what can't.
So make sure everyone in family eats the 5 – 9 servings of fruits and veggies, etc...
Also, portion control, portion control, portion control. THAT IS THE SECRET to healthy weight.
Good Luck.
Agreed. You have to know how many calories are going in your body. If you have no clue then your tendency is to overshoot. It's that simple.
Put your hands together like you are scooping up water. That is the size of your stomach. That is a meal. Eat that three times a day and you will feel full and lose weight. Kids will resist food changes. But if you put it on the plate and say "This or nothing" they WILL eat. DO NOT allow alternatives. It creates a really bad habit.
I disagree that if you put stuff in front of people they'll eventually eat it whether they like it or not. I'd have gone hungry before I'd touch a vegetable, or a lot of the "healthy" things. My advice to this mom, as someone who has had a healthy BMI despite being a picky eater and never eating a traditionally healthy diet, is to attempt to provide healthy alternatives to the things that she *does* like to eat. Use lower-fat or calorie or whole grain options where you can. The idea of reducing soda consumption and switching from white bread products are a good start. Since she's active and athletic, encourage drinking water, which will also help reduce appetite. There's a lot of unrealism in the suggestions promoted by people. 60 minutes of activity a day when kids aren't even home half the day and have a lot of homework at night, in addition to extracurricular activities isn't realistic. If a parent doesn't like vegetables, and won't eat them, there's no way to model that behavior realistically. I hate veggies, and I don't pretend that I do. All that's going to do is lead to a lot of wasted food, which, on tight budgets, is also far from ideal. I'm not a doctor, nor a nutritionist, but as a picky eater, I can tell you all you'll do if you try to force a kid like that to eat things they hate is to go behind her parents' backs in order to find the food she does like, which will likely lead to more weight gain because she'll gorge on it whenever she can.
She should also eliminate as much corn based food items from her diet. Farmers use corn to fatten hogs. This applies to both corn itself and the thousands of bi-products that are made from it.
This will work, in fact I have never seen it fail. I have one patient who has lost almost 100 lbs. It is not magic. Here are the rules. No flavored drinks, no juice, no soda, no sugar free drinks or mixes. Water, plain unflavored water ONLY to drink. 3 meals a day. Things she likes at breakfast and lunch, and the exact same thing as everyone else at dinner. She can have as much as she wants at meals, but do not make her a special dinner that she will eat. If she doesn't like the dinner you prepare, she doesn't have to eat, but the next food is breakfast. 2 snacks a day, mid morning, and mid afternoon. 1 fun snack and one a healthy snack. No snack foods for meals, and no meal food (McD's, Chicken nuggets, ff, desserts, or anything that would be served with a meal) for snacks. NOTHING to eat or drink after dinner except water. Dessert WITH dinner is OK but once she has gotten up from the table, no more until breakfast. If you do milk, and it is not necessary, do skim and limit to 2 cups a day with meals. If you stick with this exactly, she will gradually lose weight and grow taller so that her BMI will normalize. If it works, and I know it will if it becomes habit, and she continues for at least a year, post an iReport showing her success. If not post an iReport stating DocSoup is a quack.
When my son was 10 years old, his pediatrician told us that he should lose 10 lbs or the weight would start to affect his health. That's all we had to hear. Since I did all the food shopping, I made sure that vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fruit juices were the only foods to be found in the refrigerator. There were no cookies, chocolates, cakes, or sugary sodas to be found anywhere in the house. We made it a family endeavor. This combined with exercise and long walks sufficed to make my son lose 12 lbs by the end of the summer. He never put the weight back on and now he's a tall, slim, athletic and healthy young man. We made it a family affair and it succeeded without a hitch.
Agree completely but, you have to improve concentration and focus to do this with a kid.
They know and learn by tv and by example.
markk.
You do not put an 11 year old on a 'diet'. You change her eating habits for the life-long. Sheesh!! I am of the school that whatever you bring home, she will eat. She not getting in the car and driving to the grocery store. She may not like the new selections. If she's given enough variety, she'll find something to like. some commenters will say, "well what if she can't afford a selection of healthy food?" Well I am a 44 yr old female, unemployed bank VP with no health insurance. I find things that are inexpensive and healthy to eat. It takes time and a little more effort, but with some internet research and dedication, it can be done. My step-sons love apples!!! These kids (before I intevened) ate all 'brown' and washed it down with mountain dew. I now ask them to drink water instead and give them better selections, and they dont' moan and complain, they readily comply. I'd rather find apple cores in odd places (couch cushions) ugh!!, lol.. Then have them morbidly obese.
take away all computer games, tv and get the kid outdoors and off of junk food. It worked for us, it works for them, its not science. MOVE!
It's so refreshing to hear that I'm not the only one who thinks this way! EAT LESS MOVE MORE. It's really very simple, isn't it? Childhood obesity problem, my ass. It's the parents who pay for the crap that goes in their children's mouths, and their responsibility to keep them healthy. If they don't like the healthy food...too bad. They'll eat it when they get hungry enough. And, make them walk with you to the store to get it. And, substitute all the electronic equipment with physical exercise. We're killing our kids by giving in to what they want, not what they NEED.
Fact – technology is killing us as fast as it is saving us
The original letter writer says that her daughter plays sports year round. Also, that she's muscular. Some of her "extra" pounds are probably muscle. If her daughter is active and healthy, why is she pushing her so hard?
Yup that is the way to do it!
I think it also helps them to improve concentration in school.
Exercise will always reign supreme!
mark k.
Lara, the writer said, "She has asked to go on a diet, but I don't think that an 11-year-old should, even though it's unhealthy to be so overweight" - it was the daughter who requested the diet. I don't think the writer is pushing that hard.
HELLO? She's already on a diet. Everyone is on a diet, the only question is what kind of diet? Clearly this kid has been on the wrong kind of diet - a weight GAIN diet. So the question is NOT whether this kid should be on a diet, the question should be "where did I screw up with this kid's diet?"
Agreed.
You don't put him on a diet!..You change what is around for him to eat, from junk to good foods. They you get him off his rear and have him play rather than gel around the Xbox or Tv. Simple. Get rid of the junk food in the house. More important for him or her to eat healthy than diet.
Unfortunately Alex all cases are not so cut and dry....my daughter has had heart issues and could not excercise and play like other children cause her heart was working so hard it was starting to enlarge...now she has about 20 extra pounds on her and even though she has had surgery and is doing good still has limitaions with activity.
I'm sorry to hear of your daughter's health issues. She is a brave girl and one of those who is an exception to the rule. In circumstances where exercise is limited, good old-fashioned WALKING can do wonders for the entire body. Even at a slow pace, it's "exercise" that provides much needed oxygen to her blood...and heart. A lean diet, even if it is countered with low activity, should keep the pounds off (and away) with no work on her part – just yours. Good luck to both you and your beautiful daughter!
Most important thing I saw in this article is Nutritional densitiy (getting maximun nutrition from your calories) and proper portion size. That is critical for anyone trying to maintain a healthy weight. This maybe especially true for a cardiac patient. God bless and good healthy to you and your daughter.
I break most of those rules with my kids. We do not consider eating as an important activity, we are grabbing things on the run. Nuts and seeds, fruits, and sandwiches on whole grain breads. My kids are skinny and active. I have never understood why half of these rules seem to emphasize eating as an activity (i.e., sit down together, pay attention to the plates)... it just makes eating so all consuming important. We eat as an afterthought when we have to re-fuel. Life is too busy and fun to fixate on eating.
agree completely, get an active life and food becomes a complete after thought.
I tend to agree with you as far as attitude goes. I am a former fattie (ages 11 thru 15). What I learned from my thin friends growing up was that they thought and behaved as you and your kids do. Meals were regular, but food was not such a big deal. My experience in my adult life in managing my weight loss was that it was easier when I didnt fixate and obscess over it, but just stayed busy and ate something healthy on the run (which is easier to do now that it was in the early 70s). When I cooked, I used a wok and finally wore it out after 18 years. However, to actually lose the weight, I did need to have set times to eat, and rules about when not to eat (not in front of TV, not after 8pm, not if I was bored). So for chubby kids, I do feel structure is important for weight loss success.
My girl is 11 next month, puberty started, and hates vegetables. I try everyday to get her to take at least 2 bites of something green. She is big boned, no small people in our family, and she also plays sports. Regularly turn off TV for her and make her go outside but still a chubbyish kid. We also do not buy sugar cereals ever, they have a home cooked meal nearly evening and a mom who is trying hard to lose weight as well. Is it just a fact that some people are not meant to be thin? Fast food is a rarity as well. I just want others to understand that not everyone who is larger doesn't care or try. It's frustrating when others effortlessly stay thin and look at you like you are worthless.
People don't really "effortlessly stay thin." I believe different lifestyles and decisions account for the variety in sizes. One thing I've noticed that works for me is skipping mayo, cheese, soda and fried and/or greasy foods. Limit candy to a couple times a month (if that's difficult, try once a week - it's possible!), and stay active. Don't veg out in front of the TV, and no late night meals or snacks. Don't eat something if you aren't going to be doing some sort of activity before bed.
PetalHope, actually research has shown that it is easier for some people to stay thin than others. Scientists have identified a gene known as FTO. People with 2 copies of the gene are 60% more likely to be obese than people w/o the gene. Scientists suspect that there could be as many as 100 "fat genes" although they think the FTO gene has the biggest effect on promoting obesity.
Scientists have also discovered that some people have twice as many fat cells as others. Losing weight doesn't get rid of fat cells. Also they suspect the cells' rate of growth is faster for some even on fewer calories.
If that's not bad enough, they have found that when someone gains weight, metabolic changes take place that make it even harder to lose weight.
It's not hopeless, but it is definitely harder for some people to maintain a healthy weight,
Big boned? No one gains 30 pounds of bone! Big excuses is all I hear!
clinically, there is no such thing as "big boned" for instance the femur bone of a 100 lb person is not smaller in diameter
than the femur bone of a 300 lb person.
Jim, there is obviously a difference in the way different individuals are built and it makes sense that some of that would have to do with the size of the bones. I have a doctor who is about 6'2" and skinny, with narrow hands - smaller hand bones. I have a friend of the same height who is prone to overweight & has enormous hand bones. You can see the difference quite clearly.
@jim
Usually when people say "big-boned", they don't mean that the person literally has 30 extra pounds of bone. They mean that the bone structure is stouter and wider than your average person. A guy who is very broad-shouldered is going to have a higher ideal weight than someone who is the same height but with a lanky build. Similarily, a woman with broad hips and large breasts is going to have a higher ideal weight than a woman with fewer curves.
A lot of recent science has shown that waist size may be more accurate than weight as a measure of health. If your waist is small, you are probably at a healthy weight regardless of what the scale says.
Just a thought...A lot of people think they're eating healthy when they have a "home cooked meal". Look at a few of the dinners you are cooking and write down all of the calories used to create the entire dish and then find the calories in each serving of your meal. (make sure you look at the calories per serving size on the ingredients...)There may be more calories there than you think (especially with cheese, ground beef...etc)! Although home cooked meals are GREAT, make sure you're aware of calorie intake from them.
I recently read that one's weight is 30% genetically determined and 70% behavior. I find it similar to people who are predisposed to alcoholism. One just needs to be more aware of behavior. I think portion sizes are a big factor in weight gain. I had an overweight friend who was always complaining she exercised and ate right but couldn't loose the weight. She did not seem to notice she ate A LOT of healthy food. We'd go out to eat and she ate twice the amount I did, yet she says I am "naturally" thin and don't have to try like her. No, I just don't eat as much. I also drink water instead of sweetened tea and soda.
@ darn & jim: You 2 are the people I'm talking about. I put up a post clearly stating that healthy choices are taking place and you have to insult. It's not "excuses". It's a very real difficult thing that we as a family are trying to fix. Some of the other posts had suggestions or valid questions at least. When larger people are confronted with folks like yourself, it makes all the effort seem like it's not worth it. Keep your judgements and negatives to yourselves. Yes, there are people who are of a larger bone structure, yes there are those with much slower metabolisms and yes there are fat people who walk regularly, drink skim milk and eliminate fast food and they are still fat. Thank you to the other people who were considerate in responding and adding something of value.
I believe that portion size of meals has a great deal to do with weight. As an lightweight adult who recently spent an entire week at band camp as a chaperone, I noted that the other adults filled their plates double or triple servings to what I was eating (then whined about their weight!). Take what you want, but you don't need to take it all! Same thing goes for kids. Weight does kill, our business partner reached 500 lbs when he passed away at 48. His daughters each weighed over 250 lbs at one time, one of them has dropped the weight, the mom was 300 lbs herself. Their regular, everyday, plain ol' homecooked meals looked like Thanksgiving at other folks' homes, that's what convinced me that portion size was key.
liar nerd
I completely understand where you are coming from. My dad has always told me "You come from a long line of fat people." While I get this, I've decided I want to change that for me and for my future family. Has your daughter always been "chubby" or was it when she hit puberty that she gained weight? I was always a bit bigger than all my friends growing up, but once puberty hit I gained a ton of weight. I was very self-conscious and shy; I had a very hard time making friend because of the way I viewed my self. Losing weight became my life, even at a very young age. Despite being very active, I have always found it difficult to reach that "ideal" weight doctors have set out for me. At the age of 15, I'm 22 now, I was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (or Disease) which causes insulin resistance and weight gain. I now see an endocrinologist and am on medication to help with controlling blood insulin usage. I still consider myself a tad bit chubby, but I just finished a 4 year athletic career at a Division I, Big Ten University! It's not always as easy as watching what you eat and being active! I'd encourage you to take your daughter to an endocrinologist if you are concerned.
This should be a life style change for everyone in the family, not just the child. Start slowly and make gradual changes in the house. Encourage more water instead of soda or juice. Use skim or 1 % milk, light mayos and light margarines instead of regular, non- stick pan spray instead of oil to cook with. Their are a lot of cookbooks out there that promote light cooking. Get your kids involved in making healthy snacks and meals.
With out a doubt – as a whole everybody needs to improve concentration and try to figure this thing out together
great comment
Kids don't need to go on a specific "diet" they just need to have smaller proportions and get outside and exercise. If you start talking good foods bad foods, you're going to help her form a nice eating disorder. simple give her less food and don't buy snack foods, or don't have them easily assessable to her. check out http://www.diet-myths.com for more info on weight loss
Stay away from fatty, greasy foods, they are even worse than sugar. If she cuts out sugary sodas and juices and candy bars, and stays away from greasy starchy snacks such as chips and fries the weight will probably come off by itself without having to count calories, she is growing and will grow into a lot of it. It's more a matter of cutting out all the junk food, she is already active.
High Fructose Corn Syrup, Sugar Substitutes – stay away and watch those weight goes away too...
Picky eaters?? As a kid I ate what was served or went hungry.
And what is your point? My son actually stays hungry rather than touch certain foods. He has been in day care and exposed to the same menu for more than two years. In a good week, he eats lunch twice. On most weeks, he does not touch lunch. He just stays hungry. And even when he has not eaten lunch and is obviously hungry, he will not touch dinner if it something he does not like. What am I supposed to do? Let him get sick? Or feed him at least one/two meals a day, since lunch is hopeless anyway?
Yes, picky eaters do exist. I was one and still am, to a certain extent. We were far from being well-off when I was growing up and my mother did not like to cook, either. Consequently, I was not exposed to a variety of foods and thought I did not like them. I credit my husband with asking me to try things over the years and I have ended up liking most of them. However, I still do not like most vegetables or fruits. To get the nutrition I need from those two groups, I drink V8 Juice Blends.
My grandson is another picky eater. He is 6 and underweight for his age. He will go hungry if he doesn't like what is served, so when he eats at my house I serve him the foods I know he'll eat. He likes steak, so we call all beef products "steak" and he eats them. He doesn't like any vegetables except broccoli (which I hate), so if I make corn, green beans or peas, I bribe him to eat some (with the promise of either an activity he wants to do or a snack later on). Another thing I read recently is NOT to use the term "healthy" when referring to foods or snacks with kids. Just offer it to them and let them know that is all there is. Using the term "healthy" eventually brings a negative connotation to the food in the kids' mind.
That doesn't work on everyone. My son is very thin and super picky. When I try to force things I lose. He will vomit everything up (not intentionally). He was losing weight for a time which is very bad for young children who are underweight to start. I can't force him to eat. Doesn't work.
Dali- He won't get sick. He will eat when he is hungry enough, even if he doesn't like it. I was a picky kid too, and he has you trained!
Is this woman seriously telling us that her "picky eater" 11 year old controls what she eats? If an 11 year old tells you she doesn't want to eat anything but junk food, do you just give in? Of course not. Plates of veggies every day, salad, grains, lean protiens, and if they don't eat it THEY DON'T EAT. They get hungry fast and start to appreciate what they're given.
Honestly, our parents today are hopeless...
You sound like a control freak. A child torturer. Why not just say, "Try a bite or two. If you don't want it, get yourself some cereal?" Try again another time as taste buds develop over time. Honestly, what is the point of force except a resentful child?
CJ- the point is that YOU are the parent, and you are in charge. If your child is resentful because he doesn't get his way, too bad. That's better than being spoiled because he gets his way all the time, isn't it?
Child torturer? I would call it parenting. The role of the parent is teach the child. I've seen too many people who were allowed to "get a bowl of cereal" never learn...a college classmate only ate chicken noodle soup; a friend of my son ate cheese, spaghetti and milk...they had a plate of spaghetti for him at his wedding reception. My kids saw that and thanked me for teaching them to eat a healthy diet. Two bites of everything on one's plate. We always ate dinner as a family. That allowed family time, which was more important than the actual food we ate. We grew together as a family, and now that the kids are grown and gone...they still like to come home. It also ensured that I knew what they were eating at the primary meal of the day...well balanced as to portions and food groups...without having to make a fuss. It just was. The combination of social interaction and healthy eating was a significant factor in raising two healthy, happy, active children into adults I am proud to know.
Btw, the kids 99% of the time eat JUST LIKE THE PARENTS. Does this woman buy junk food? Chips, candy, soda? If these things are in the house, what does the woman expect but for the kid to be eating them? Control your pantry, and you control your "diet."
Also, you should NEVER "diet." You should eat for life, and snack for good occassions only. Your "diet" should be part of your lifestyle, not something you alter now and then when you realize you're fat.
This is such a crap article, oh exercise more and stop eating junk replacing it with fruits and vegetables – why didn't I think of that??? You can stop buying junk and it DOES NOT mean they will eat the healthy stuff when they get hungry. An 11 year old is more than able to score junk food at lunch from her friends, after school, at a friend's house and they will hide any money they get to buy their own junk. Are you people and authors and doctors really that clueless??? Adults have trouble controlling their eating, yet we expect kids to be better at it? ridiculous. Yes, it is a big problem but as long as there are Cheetos and Devil Dogs for sale, there will be overweight kids. Let's not forget how expensive it is to eat healthy during one of the worst economies in history. Low income families can't afford healthy choices when McDonald's has a huge 99 cent menu. Then we have the unfairness of metabolism and my best friend who can eat anything so why can't I mentality. These are kids...when your friends are eating Doritoes you want to eat Doritos. It really sucks that kids with bad metabolism and inherited genetic tendencies are seen as having a problem while their skinny counterparts must be smarter, fitter, have more self-control, etc all which is blatantly untrue. Yes, kids need to be active but how about all the kids who are very active and still overweight like this woman's 11 year old? All kids can benefit from eating better, playing more but especially in today's world – this is not realistic advice. 25 years ago kids could be outside riding their bikes all over their neighborhoods. Today, it's not safe to do that and a lot of parents forced to work tell their kids to stay inside because at least they are safe. It's a huge catch 22 situation that doesn't have any easy answer – especially not thinking some 11 year old is going to suddenly develop a taste for brussels sprouts...as it!
A big bag of brown rice and veggies is cheap. Not sure where you shop. Assume you spend $3/a person at McDonalds. That is $12 for a family of four. You can EASILY make a delicious homecooked healthy meal for $12. I think it's more a question of time & effort rather than cost. As for getting junk food elsewhere, I don't see a lot of 11 yr olds alone at the store buying twinkies. At a friend's house, tell the parent ahead of time not to give your kid junk food or just have your kid's friends come to your house where you can monitor them. It's a pain to do all this but possible. One of my kids is a picky eater. I let her eat fruit instead of veggies, since she doesn't like many veggies. I don't make a big deal of it.
You make an excellent point about school lunch. I was horrified to hear that my son bought a pretzel, curly fries, and an ice cream rather than the milk I thought I was paying for!
The doc failed to address the parent's comment that this child "has a lot of muscle," and "looks about 20 pounds over." Blanket statements about what constitutes "overweight" are never a good idea, especially where children are concerned (especially girls who may be going through puberty...another thing to keep in mind with putting her on a diet). The parent needs to stop obsessing over how many pounds "overweight" the child is, and just keep track of her fat percentage. And forget BMI, which is meaningless for kids! A girl is obese if her body fat is 32% or higher. "Healthy" is between 14 and 21 percent fat. (Those percentages are about the same for women, by the way.) So reduce the child's intake of fats, have her eat complex carbohydrates and high-fiber foods, and do keep an eye on total caloric intake. But buy an electronic scale that measures fat percentage, and concentrate only on that number when you weigh your daughter. That's the only thing that matters. If your child is going to be a big, muscular woman, good for her. Teach her to lover her body!
OMG! Do NOT do what "Veggiehead" recommends! Complex Carbohydrates to LOSE weight?!?! Yea... carbo load the kid everyday that'll do it. The real weight loss recipe: Veggies only and a good mix of them, with a small amount of protein which I suggest taking as a supplement in small doses. The goal here is hunger, and activity. Stop listening to everyone telling you your child should "still eat enough". Thats only true AFTER they lose the weight. DONT teach her to "love her body". What a lazy, harmful, and sadistic attitude. Teach her to love "being healthy" and to "love her HEALTHY body" not to relish in overindulgence and gluttony. This is the problem with overweight kids these days. Everyone is so dang P.C. they refuse to let a kid go hungry for a little while. Theyre overweight.... You have to starve the body so it uses its fat stores. Just use logic and you'll be fine.
dt, do you realize that many veggies are, in fact, complex carbohydrates? Carrots, for instance. You do not know what you are ranting about, so rudely. The parent commented that the child would be taken off white bread. Good. So feed her a complex-carb substitute: whole grain bread. It is high in fiber, high in protein, nutritious, slow to be digested, and an excellent food for anyone who can eat grain. That's all I meant.
You need to learn some manners.
I sincerely hope that dT is not a parent. Starving and hunger is a great way to make the metabolism require even fewer calories and therefore make it impossible for the girl to return to a healthy diet without gaining! Portion control suggestions and elimination of sweet drinks make much more sense. She already gets more exercise than most of the responding adults.
What about exercise????
Any serious lifter or athlete in the world will tell you fitness is 90% diet. You can run for an hour and only burn a doughnut, and that is going to be a painful hour if you just ate an unhealthy meal. A developing child burns like 1500 or more calories a day. Throw in another 200 from exercise and it doesnt just whip you into shape if youre consuming 3000 calories. You eat healthy to be healthy, and exercise to be physically fit.
Eat what you want to eat but do some push ups or something. Spend 15 minutes on that treadmill. Child, Please
Childhood obesity is certainly on the rise. The doctor is right with the eating advice, but I want to stress the importance of physical activity. It doesn't necessarily have to be a sport that the child is doing, but a fun activity such as dancing help to drop the weight and make the child live a healthier life. A program called Recess Rocks http://recessrocks.com/ is doing a phenomenal job with getting kids interested in being active and healthy. Check them out and see if they can help you out.
I have to wonder whether any of these posters read the article for this thread. The parent who sent in the question about putting this girl on a diet said "she plays sports year-round." Sports. Year-round. The girl does exercise. The question concerned the child's diet.
It's so easy for the educated masses to say "move" or "go for a run" when it comes to weight loss. What they seem to forget is that, without the proper diet and knowledge regarding healthy/unhealthy foods, an increase in activity increases the metabolism and thus increases the appetite. I've seen people end up gaining substantial amounts of weight by increasing their daily activity and not adjusting their caloric intake.
These people are overweight because of their lack of will power when it comes to food. If their metabolism goes up, their body responds by telling them to consume more food. Not to mention, how many of you have seen people who justify eating fatty foods by saying "it's ok, I went for a walk today"?
Check for steroids
Step 1: Drop the sweets.
Step 2: Drop the sugar treats
Step 3: Add lots of fruits and vegetables
Step 4: Exercise
Step 5: Excerise
Step 6: Repeat at step 1
Wow – interesting article about the change to american taxes there couger. Another sign that the country is doomed...or at least the next 2 generations.
Try not feeding them so much food and dont let them snack whenever and whatever they want. It must be a slow news day.
wouldn't it be best to teach them to eat correctly, and why, for life, vs a 'diet?'
Yes. That's what GOOD "diet" programs like Weight watchers do. And WW does have excellent guidelines for managing children's diets!
Have you heard of The Eating Game? It is a resource that allows kids to plan their own meals guiding them to make good choices (based on Canada's Food Guide, very similar to US Food Pyramid) or Eater's Choice Daily Meal Planner that provides the same planning tool in a dry erasable, reusable daily planning chart. Check it out at http://www.theeatinggame.ca
P90X will drop those pounds for life.
I was a fat 11 year old, and my mom just flat out instituted rules. No, you may not have second helpings. No, you may not have a cookie for a snack – heres a piece of fruit. No, we are not having dessert tonight. And no, I didnt like it; but it worked. I dropped the weight, I felt better, and I still thank her for it. Parents dont have to worry about a diet – they just need to enforce it and be practical.
Except that when you are dealing with growing children, you have to be careful to not restrict calories too sharply, and you have to be extremely careful to make sure that the child is getting adequate nutrition. Especially with a child who is going through puberty.
No you don't. Fat equals calories. Pure Calories. Easily used calories. They'll be FINE. Let them eat the correct amount after they LOSE WEIGHT!
dt, it is obvious that you know little to nothing about nutrition and metabolism. You are not worth my time.
Fine if it is an absolutely normal child overweight because of overeating and lack of exercise, but if this is a girl (I note that you are male from your name) with polycystic ovarian syndrome (quite common), that piece of fruit for a snack rather than a cookie is just as deadly. Once polycystic ovarian syndrome progresses to the point where the person is insulin resistant, any carbs will be deposited as fat. Also, that piece of fruit will cause the same spike and fall in blood sugars that sets off the hunger signals that the cookie will cause. It is not always so easy, and this condition has been tragically underdiagnosed in young girls and women for decades. It wasn't that long ago that doctors were telling women who tried desperately to lose weight and couldn't that they were crazy and lying. Rule out the possible physical causes FIRST, not years after someone has had a problem and has gained a morbid amount of extra weight! And don't always assume that people are just eating Oreos by the boxful.
I'm with you John. It's called "change" and is exactly what you have to do to lose bodyfat and become a healthy person who makes good food choices. Nobody ever suffered from malnutrition or vitamin deficiency by being told they could not have a cookie or other "snack food". Veggiehead is overreacting and sounds like one of the molly-coddling parents who will not say no and who is responsible for raising a generation of spoiled, self-centered underachievers like the kids who populate my area that I see every day.
There are NO documented cases of vitamin deficiency in the United States, certainly not from someone eating an apple instead of a twinkie, but there are MANY documented ases of obese children I was fat at age 11, and giving up ice cream did not stunt my growth. I gave up pasta in my late 30s, and I'm quite sure that decision has extended my life span by several years. People simply do not need as much food to live a healthy life as they think they need. Period.
What kind of a question is this?How do Iput my 11-year-old on a diet? The same way you'd put yourself on a diet. Stop giving your child money to buy junk food and start being more of a mom by preparing healthy meals yourself (take the time to do it) and feed them to your child. Pack her lunch with healthy snacks and with something decent to eat.
I get the impression you are "bargaining" with your child; that is, asking her permission do go on a diet. She is a picky eater??? Who cares - especially you. Why do you care if she's a picky eater? Feed her what is good for her and not what she wants. Aren't you the boss in your family? Finally, you don't want drastic measures? How in the world do expect to make drastic improvements?
You asked for advice? Well, here's your simple answer: 1. Assuming she doesn't have a physical ailment (such as an overactive thyroid problem), eat less. 2. Stop all junk food. 3. Exercise more. 4. drink more water. You might want to follow these suggestions yourself because I suspect you might be overweight as well. After all, children usually resemble their parents.
You are a mean-spirited hater, Mikey. You know nothing about the parent who wrote in. Any parent who cares enough to solicit professional advice on how to adjust a child's diet correctly is a caring person. You should be ashamed of yourself.
Nope, I love his advice. We have to stop the "Oh little Timmy is so hungry this just isnt right" mentality when you're talking about an 11-year old whos FIFTY POUNDS overweight. That is ORCA FAT! This isn't a 60-year old ex-linebacker whos "Husky". This kid is OBESE!!! YOU ARE FEEDING YOUR CHILD TO DEATH!!! To give you an idea Women rarely put on that much weight when pregnant!! This is a small female child who has the equivalent of pregnancy weight on her normally!!! Stop the PC crud and feed her lettuce and get her on a treadmill BEFORE YOU KILL HER WITH NICENESS!!!!
You have completely and totally endorsed every fat person who "walked to McDonalds" by saying your OBESE child is healthy because "they play sports". Sports make people fit, not sports mean fat kids are healthy. GOD!!!!!!*#%^*$&^$
No one, not an 11 year old or any adult, no matter what their size should be on a diet for the purpose of weight loss. For people to get back to their natural body size, all that is needed is for them to tune into their body signals and eat when they're hungry, stop when they're full and participate in a physical activity they enjoy. Check out Google searches on intuitive eating, natural eating, conscious eating etc.for more information on this 'great phenomenon'.
The fact that an 11 year old has requested to go on a diet raises all kind of warning signals and seems to indicate that even at her young age, she has already fallen into the diet mentality which is accepted as the norm in our society. At the very least, this could lead to a lifelong obsession with dieting or at the most extreme, it could lead to an eating disorder. As someone recovered from both, I wish I had learned to keep in tune with my natural hunger signals from a young age, which would have saved me years of emotional and financial bondage to the diet industry. Freedom from all that has never felt so good.
I agree with much of what you said, with one major exception: this is a child we are talking about. She has to be taught how to eat, what to eat, when to eat. Being able to follow her intuition for hunger signals and nutritional needs may come later. I don't think that her asking for help with losing weight is any reason for alarm. She probably feels the physical effects of the extra weight, as well as the social effects. It's very healthy for a developing girl to ask for help with weight management! A child with an unhealthy self-image that can blossom into an eating disorder is a child who either starves or purges in private. This girl asked her parent for help.
I lost 25 pounds when I was 14, doing simply what's been mentioned already: eat less, do more. It works.
What has happened to your 11 year old is not the childs fault. The food today CAUSES diabetes and obesity. Even the so called health food is sprayed and prepared with dangerous chemicals. The only way to reverse obesity is to heal the pancreas. A filmmaker has been reversing diabetes and obesity Without drugs see here. It is safe for children as well and it has been working http://spirithappy.wordpress.com/
I find it hard to believe that a childhood endocrinologist didn't raise the possibility that this young girl might be suffering from polycystic ovarian disease and insulin resistance. The two conditions go hand in hand, and the child described sounds typical – high muscle mass, physically active, yet overweight. At her age, she could be at the onset of adolescence (or already well into it) and has gained the weight since menarche, also typical of girls with this condition. She should be checked for polycystic ovarian disease, and treated accordingly if she does have it, because it will be virtually impossible for her to lose weight otherwise. She will just get fatter and fatter while the professionals tell her to turn off the TV during meals. This has happened to so many women whose bodies were out of control and depositing everything they consumed as fat while our society shames them for being gluttons and lazy.
If it is found the girl doesn't have this disease, then the possibility of altering her eating habits should be considered – but only after any and all possible physical causes of her weight gain have been ruled out. Far too many girls and women with this disease don't find out they have it until they have gained immense amounts of weight and have suffered years of ridicule, scorn and rejection because of their size. Treatment doesn't make the weight just go away, but it stops the vicious cycle of abnormal amounts of fat being deposited no matter how healthily the person eats. Weight loss for someone with this condition is very difficult, and the sooner it is diagnosed and treated, the better.
You treat PCOS with diet and exercise. There is no magic pill. It just makes weight loss really really hard.
YOu should not have junk food in your house if you want your child to lose weight. Have her drink only milk or water and nothing else. No deserts for ANYONE. Put the food on her plate for her in proper portion size. Balance protein and whole grains and some veggies and fruit. Avoid fried foods. Read up on whole food diets. I would have everyone in the house eat this way, not just her in order to give her support. Good luck!
If she has muscle, she is not at all 50 lbs. overweight. I don't suppose muscle tissue on the body does it much harm. I don't understand how she could be overweight if she plays sports, and is a picky eater.
When I see families with overweight adults & kids in the grocery store with a cart loaded with as much junk food as good food.... Parents need to set the example and control the home environment. A big problem for many adults ~ they won't eliminate junk food in the house because they want it. A kid might buy themselves one bottle of pop a day but will drink a lot more if you have cases available to them in the house. I find the picky eater discussion odd.... most picky eaters I know are not overweight. If your child is refusing to eat anything but sugary food you need to talk to the Dr. Parents take responsibility!
I worry about accounts sent in as letters. Has this girl really been weighed and her height measures. Has she a heavy frame or light frame? It says she "looks like" who's standard of weight is this. Could the writer have an American starved model image of what women should weigh. Also an athlete should weigh a little more.
Then there is the idea of taking her to a doctor as though she was sick. A doctor is useful if you have cancer, or are in an automobile accident. Otherwise a doctor is just another business person who will sell you, or your child a treatment for any disease you can name. Maybe start by having the school nurse assess whether the girl is overweight. If so the suggestion of more green vegetables may be the answer. Incidentally, I have gained weight drinking soft drinks and lost weight by stopping. Could this be where the problem lies?
fat kids are generally lazy little pukes with lazy parents feeding them the easy processed garbage. fat kids make me sisck to my stomach.
Who do you think is buying all that junk food? Something tells me the 11 year-old daughter isn't the one driving to the grocery store every week.
Hmmm....Hmmm....how do I put my own 11 year old on a diet? Hmm....im thinking....
ah...well, to start with, stop feeding her all that garbage (cookies, cake, ice cream, pizza) and only bring food into the house that is "healthy" (ie low *calorie* and fat).....if the little "picky eater" does not want to eat it, then thats too bad.
She;ll either start eating your food or go without meals....and loose weight pretty fast either way.....
Growing up...my dad didnt give me choice as to what I ate for breakfast...the food was good, but sometimes plain...eat or go hungry....
Stop most of the processed foods. I don't take my kids to fast food restaurants. Ever. I don't think I'm a bad mom because I don't feed MdDonalds to my kids. For breakfast they eat eggs maybe a slice of whole wheat toast. I don't buy the sugary cereal that's targeted for kids. Snacks consist of fruits, vegetables, cheese. I cook all dinners. I work so my Saturdays are when I plan the menu for the week and do the grocery shopping. I use my crock pot a lot and when I have extra time I cook huge meals and freeze for when I don't have as much time. It requires a lot of planning and effort but it's doable. What also works is to not buy junk at the supermarket.
Serena, someone else has some common sense and planning skills. Thank goodness. Moms: get off of 'Farmville' and onto some nutrition sites for your kids. Sheesh!
Give her coke, heroin, ultra lights and lettuce leafs. That way she'll lose weight AND be fabulous.
*leaves
worked for Lindsay. why not!!
My 11-yr-old niece decided on her own to go on a "diet" last school year. She began with a nutritionist and learned about healthy foods and healthy portions. Since she was very motivated and disciplined and had the support of her family, by the end of the school year she had lost 20 lbs. She has continued her healthy lifestyle into the new school year. If your daughter is asking to lose weight and is taking the lead, then I would follow up and support her.
Its the parents fault if their kids are fat, stop overfeeding your kids
its not really about overfeeding, its about feeding them crap, like mcdonals and garbage like that...
Just let her read the fat-phobic comments on this blog! Then, hopefully she'll become anorexic and hate herself enough to stop eating in order to fullfill some extremely narrow and inaccurate table (BMI) that in way measures health! (-end sarcasm)
Sad but true. you nailed it.
Not to be pessimistic, but when a child reaches a certain age, there is often nothing you can do.. it is really up to them. Provide healthy meals at home, and get rid of the sweets and junkfood, but when children are old enough they get food from their friends or using their own allowance, or if they have jobs, they buy it. Personally, I think its a bit strange to put your child on a diet. The child should WANT to be on a diet. Without that desire, all you can do is provide healthy food.
well you fed the 11 year old for 11 years, made them what they are, so grow a pair and change your mistakes before the kid pays for you....
An 11-year-old who is 50 POUNDS OVERWEIGHT? Here's a tip- stop allowing your kid to eat so much junk! I say get CPS involved for child neglect. What horrible parenting! How do you allow your child to eat enough crap so as to maintain that kind of obesity? Just pure laziness on the parent's part.
While parents can control what their children eat at home, they cannot control what they eat at school or when children are in the company of friends. Many wholesome homemade lunches are traded at school for junk food. Children can be very creative when to comes to getting what they want. I have seen a group of Jr High girls dump their lunches into a pile in the middle of the cafeteria table and then select from the pile what they wish to eat. The sweets, chips, and processed foods disappear and, oftentimes, the good stuff is discarded.