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If you have an overweight DC, how do you handle them commenting on their weight?

211 replies

olivewreath13 · 30/12/2022 19:37

My DD is obese (body fat percentage of 36.1 😳) We are trying to take control of her weight at the moment. She's started to become aware of her weight and is making comments that are breaking my heart. I don't want to agree with her, but I also don't want to tell her she's perfect as she is or anything like that, because we really do need to take action in the new year. Wondering how others handle this?

OP posts:
ehb102 · 01/01/2023 10:29

@olivewreath13 Whilst I feel for you, I feel for your child. I was a fat child, and today some people would be saying I didn't eat healthily. Except my mother was a nurse and a health visitor and we cooked from scratch every night, rarely had fried anything. It turns out I have lipoedema, a fat disorder that has a connective tissue element. It gives you a certain shape, and sufferers post photos of themselves as "fat" children. Except lipoedema isn't normal fat. The cells multiply rapidly and get much larger than undiseased fat. That and a thyroid autoimmune disorder meant I spent thirty years under the impression that my large body was somehow my fault, that I could somehow control it. This was not true.

Fat acceptance and body neutrality are the way to go. If you aren't going to embrace calorie counting combined with a good quality heart rate tracker then anyone who is not "normal" is just going to be hurt and discouraged. Children should not diet in my opinion. They do not have enough control over their food. That doesn't mean that they shouldn't have basic knowledge on how many calories their body needs to maintain their weight, what that means practically for meal calorie count. If there is any kind of hormonal disorder then natural appetite suppressant doesn't work. I have had leptin resistance as well, I never felt satiated until I went through that. Thyroid hormones have a massive effect on appetite.

My attitude is that you only have one body, you need to love it the way it is because you don't get another one, you need to know what healthy is and you also need to know what narrow beauty standards are because you will never fit them. Let's face it, a lot of the fat hatred is nothing about health, it's about women's perceived lack of compliance. How can you explain "fat" without reference to all this? It's only part of the picture.

My child is being taught to eat well, move lots and work at sports and skills. Physical health is how she feels and what the metrics say, not what a random person perceives.

Badlytrainedspaniel · 01/01/2023 10:32

olivewreath13 · 01/01/2023 00:58

When we've talked about it before, she seems to be unhappy with her body but upset at the idea of giving up treats. She has said things like she doesn't want to get too fat to do certain activities she enjoys.

I've tried and tried consequences for helping herself to food. It doesn't always work. She's lost screentime etc because she helped herself to food anyway.

Seeing this update, I agree with previous posters who have suggested you need to ask for professional help with this, for you and your daughter.

I feel so sad that you have punished her for taking food, that you bought and had where she could get it. The cycle of binging and shame and is already there, it’s beyond a family fitness approach and it sounds like you need help with this (and please take all the responsibility, she is a very young chilld - you control her food intake and you have caused this to happen. Saying she wasn’t as active as you believed at a sports class is a cop out, that isn’t where the weight gain has come from.

You said the GP you was very dismissive. Call your practice and arrange an appointment with someone else, tell receptionist that your child is obese, you are concerned for her health and you like to be referred to a dietician for help. Make sure this is in her notes.

belowfrozen · 01/01/2023 11:16

Op she will say she's hungry as she's got to have her body adjusted to less. He GI slow release foods can help. Porridge not cereals. More protein. Less fat & sugary carbs. Go for a brisk walk daily. Can you walk a longer route to school etc ? Go to
Park after school etc? Simple building of more steps.

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soupmaker · 01/01/2023 11:55

@BagOfBollocks Yes, she was diagnosed as having premature adrenarche at age 7.

Portion sizes are definitely an issue in our house so we've all cut back. I use side plates instead of dinner plates for a lot of meals and I've swapped out large bowls for smaller bowls for cereal, soups and pasta. We try and have soup for tea at least once a week and only have a pudding once over the weekend.

Christmas hasn't been great as so much chocolate has arrived in the house but I plan to thin that out!

TheaBrandt · 01/01/2023 12:26

I got slammed on here for doing that soup told I would give my two teen dds eating disorders if they weren’t allowed huge adult sized dinner plates piled with food every meal 🙄 .

Their former primary friends that are overweight had enormous portions mine are beautifully slim. We don’t discuss weight we just eat normal healthy food we just don’t overeat. They are “so lucky” apparently not to be fat…

Mulhollandmagoo · 02/01/2023 00:58

You don't just need to focus on portion sizes, you need to focus on the kinds of foods she is eating. If she's eating high protein foods, she won't be as hungry. If it's highly processed, high salt/fat/sugar foods, they won't keep her full. She needs lots of lean meats, and fish and eggs, and fruits and veggies, plenty of water and the odd little treat here and there - but just shoehorn them in, don't make a big deal about her having them, or use them as a bribe.

Violinist64 · 06/07/2024 09:42

Hi, l know this is an old thread, but how is your daughter now?

soupmaker · 06/07/2024 23:37

Violinist64 · 06/07/2024 09:42

Hi, l know this is an old thread, but how is your daughter now?

Hi. My DD is nearly 11 now. She's the same height as her 16 year old sister. She has always been tall and 18 months ago was definitely overweight. Now she's slim and in proportion. Wears a size 8 or ages 13-15 clothes. I think portion control, hormonal changes with puberty and very healthy packed lunches for school have all helped.

Violinist64 · 07/07/2024 06:19

Well done. What a lovely update. It sounds as if she is set for a healthy, happy future and ready for secondary school. Congratulations to both of you.

Yougetmoreofwhatyoufocuson · 07/07/2024 06:19

Last year there was a lovely thread about a mum’s journey in getting her little girl to a better weight it was over several months and she did small things gradually like not offering squash any more and buying her a scooter to get to school (I think).
it was a very positive and lovely thread. Look it up OP. Sorry I don’t know how to do links.

poshsnobtwit · 07/07/2024 09:00

I think you need to be careful about restricting food, and instead do a complete overhaul of what types of food are coming into the house. Your 'rake' husband will have to give up his junk food in the house, everyone has to make an effort to become more healthy for the sake of your dd. I say this because my dd had a friends who was very overweight, in a thin family. She had 3 siblings, and two parents who were all slim. This poor girl couldn't exercise in school as she'd get out of breath etc. Her mum told me that she'd had blood tests and all medical causes were ruled out. The paediatrician put it down to genetics (apparently 2 paternal aunts were the same shape/build) but the family really restricted what the girl ate, and when she came to our house I use to catch her stealing food to take home :-(

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