Overweight child - help needed!

If he's eating his regular meals and you don't buy crap like crisps and chocolate biscuits all you can do is up his protein as it keeps you feeling fuller for longer and cut back his carbs very slightly. Offer more vegetables with his meals. Leave healthy snacks like cucumber sticks or carrot sticks in the fridge for him. Buy lots of apples he can munch on. I buy my foster son chicken breasts. I will cut them in half and cook them and he'll snack on one of those and carrot battens as soon as he gets in from college. If he's still hungry I offer an orange or an apple. You've tried not making a thing of it but he's just getting heavier. He needs professional intervention now. I'd make an appointment to see your GP practice nurse and ask for a weight management programme for him. In the meanwhile could you increase his sports like swimming lengths or running. I've got my teen using our rowing machine for 20 minutes before breakfast every morning. He eats scrambled eggs and plum tomatoes on toast because that's a hot filling food to keep him going until lunch time but he has a banana in his bag he can eat at break time. Also cut back on fizzy drinks unless zero versions as there are so many calories in normal ones.

Sorry - I just wrote a bit of an essay already but I really don't agree with seeing the GP. That turns it into an 'issue'. A 'problem'. He could get very self conscious and develop more secret eating patterns. I really think the best way forward is to ignore weight and focus hard on healthy eating, fitness, weaning off any sugar cravings, enjoying an active lifestyle, good self care of his body. And play down the weight. It's not about weight, It's about nutrition and body-care. The weight will stabilise as he grows. Please don't make a thing about it by dragging him to a GP or putting him on some diet.

Can I ask how much he weighs and how tall he is? What percentile is he for his age? What size clothes is he?
He sounds hungry - could he just be a growing boy fuelling up for a growth spurt??

Don't forget to look at what he is drinking as well as eating. A huge amount of calories can be added with soda. And if he is drinking stuff with artificial sugars that can stimulate appetite.

This is so tricky. There could be underlying reasons and it would be worth ruling these out. Both ADHD and Prader-Willi syndrome can cause hyperphagia - that feeling of never being full or satisfied - of a total disconnect between hunger and appetite. As PP have said, so can MH compulsive eating disorders such as bulimia.

He is old enough to have a proper discussion about it. Not at all about being fat. Don't mention that word. But do say that you know he is doing homework for food and that this isn't a healthy attitude to eating or to his body and that you are concerned he might be a bit addicted to sugar. Explain how this can affect him (without discussing weight) - point out it can cause energy dips and mood swings, cravings that aren't linked to hunger, poor teeth and gum disease which has been linked to serious illness later in life, like cancer.

If he mentions his weight, just say, 'That's not the issue at all, because you're still growing, so you will grow into your weight over the next few months. That's normal. But we do need to look at your health.' You could then ask if he is worried about his weight and if he is, say he shouldn't lose weight but if he wants to get fitter, you'd love to join him.

Maybe use the Easter holidays to focus on a healthy eating (NOT weight loss) diet which builds muscle - get him trying loads of different veg and meat, fish, eggs etc, cooking with you. Maybe get him some dumbells so he can train and enjoy that feeling of strength. Pick some goals together with a big reward at the end of them - swimming once a week until you can swim a kilometre without a break, or a mile. Cycling a 15 mile tour, hiking for a day.

Once he starts caring about his health and fitness, his attitude to food might shift. It did with Ds and this is the perfect time of life for it to happen, as growth spurts will help him.

Yes I would second seeking help now from the gp. However they are likely to be useless, so I would also look up children therapists in your area who are much more likely to be able to offer actual help.

Sounds like it would be a good idea for you to see the GP.

The thing about not making a big deal is to try and prevent a problem situation

But when you have a problem you have to recognise and deal with it

So it's ok to try and get sone help - it's the right thing

You need to get to the root of his association of food with something emotional going on. Can you speak to the gp about this? It's not your fault.

Not your fault, not his fault. He's got to the point of being addicted to food/eating. I don't have a solution I'm afraid (I'm bulimic so same addiction) but I'd suggest looking into eating disorder help.