What can be done about an 18 year old putting on weight?

[lurchersforever]

This is really noticeable in ds now and started about a year ago - up until then he was always slim. I feel horrible saying it but it's a real shame he's getting such a belly, I don't know what I can do about it though. We eat pretty well and I have never had loads of biscuits/crisps etc in but obviously he has his own money and I often see those big bags of chocolates like Twirl etc in the bin. He doesn't drink but is always out and in pubs and likes coke/0% beer/cider, so that won't be helping.

He plays a sport but it's cricket so not a massive help I feel and a lot of hanging around, probably snacking. He doesn't drive and walks to college/part-time job around half an hour each way, but it's obviously not enough. He's made noises about joining a gym at uni when it'll be free apparently, but no real interest in that so not sure it'll stick.

Again, I hate to say it but I do feel he is just a bit greedy when it comes to snacks - he worked very hard for his A levels but I feel there was a lot of stress/reward eating probably going on while sitting in the library and now, despite being fairly active, it's gone too far to be shifted without his making a concerted effort, which I see no signs of. I also think he's a bit delusional about what a healthy weight is and thinks as he's tallish it's ok, but I feel it's just going to get worse if he doesn't address it now.

What, if anything, can I say or do?

My DS is the same - he has put it on over the last year but whilst revising for A Levels he didn’t do any exercise and ate quite a bit of rubbish though we do try not to buy too much. Since then he is going to the gym and rugby training, and also eating a little better but hasn’t lost much weight, though it’s not going up any more. He’s aware of the issue so I don’t think there’s much you can do except maybe try and show solidarity by buying healthy food and also eating healthily. I agree though they go off and do/eat/buy what they want!

He’s a young adult, so you may be able to nudge but you can’t push - weight and fitness is one of those things people have to do themselves.

But do make sure he can cook easy healthy food before he leaves for uni! Also obviously make sure he’s got appropriate kit for the uni gym so that there’s no unecessary barrier to him doing that.

You could provide healthy, protein based snacks that he can grab from the fridge & go.

Move from white bread/pasta/couscous/rice to brown which will leave him feeling full for longer.

But in the end, he's an adult and if he doesn't know about healthy eating by now, it will be hard to get it across.

Is his mental health ok? It could be that he's eating for comfort and needs another way to de-stress.

I’d say nothing at all. He’s an adult. I’d probably buy less junk into the house so it would take effort for him to go to the shop and buy unhealthy food rather than just going into the kitchen cupboards.

He may end up with an eating disorder if people start commenting on his weight.