Five year old talking about losing weight.

[BucketandSpade]

Anyone else had their five year old say they want to lose weight? My daughter is just coming to the end of her reception year. This morning on the way to school she started doing star jumps. Oh, I said, do you do those exercises in PE? No, she said, this is to lose weight, Mummy. Then she patted her tummy and said, me and my best friend X want to lose weight. We want to be thin like that lady....points to very thin lady.

My daughter is normal weight. I don't diet and make a point of not referencing the size or shape of women's bodies. Where does this come from? I know the cult of thinness is everywhere now - but surly not so young? She thinks it's all very jokey for now, but it does makes me nervous about what's to come. Clearly this stuff is already being talked about among her school friends. I don't thing it even entered my consciousness until I was in my teens.

Dd2 came home saying she was fat in year R. She's if anything underweight. I spoke to the teacher in a casual kind of way, just so she was aware it was being talked about. It didn't really come up again after that, I think the teacher talked about it in circle time.

This is a hideously small example group and probably not much help, but...

When I was 18 I au paired for a 6 year old who was obsessed with losing weight and it really worried me. I used to tell her that she was perfect just as she was and say that she couldn't tell what she would look like when she was older but as her mummy was pretty and slim she would be too.

I also told her mum about it (she used to moan about being fat the WHOLE time in front of her two DDs) and she had a talk with her daughter and stopped openly dieting in front of her. You might want to check on your DDs friend's mum and her food habits?

Although I'm not in touch with her directly, I stalked the girl on facebook recently (she's now about 22) and she is a sporty, normal-looking young woman.

Hopefully it's just a passing fad?

My DD is in reception and has said she's got a fat tummy. She's actually little for her age. An older neighbour told her she had a fat tummy. I went and talked to her mother immediately without DD knowing.

I would say you're doing all the right things. I reckon if you carry on as you are and don't overreact to what she says it'll hopefully just pass.

I would avoid saying that she is already slim as I think this reinforces the idea that thin is good. My mum used to say to me "you're not fat or thin, you're just normal". I think this was a good thing.

Thanks! Interesting replies. I'm not going to make a big deal of it, think you're absolutely right Jezabelle, will only re-inforce it. Can't believe someone told your daughter she had a fat tummy.

I'm sure will pass, but the whole body obsession thing just seems so much worse than it was when I was growing up. And it wasn't that great then!