My dd is obese..pls help!

[bhk3]

Hi . My dd 8.9 yo has suddenly put on few kilos. Her height is 138 cms weight 40.7 kilos. Mostly her fat is gathered in her tummy. She is a very active child and regularly plays sport. Eats chocolates once in a week. Not having a sweet tooth. Regularly eats fruits & veges. Eats too less junk, sometimes only over the weekends. Am wondering why is she putting on so much weight. The doc says she is overweight. Kindly help!

She does seem to be overweight for her height although it sounds like you are doing a great job of making sure she is active and eats well. Does she snack a lot? How large are portion sizes? My DSis has a similar aged child who is also overweight, she is having to use the small ikea plastic plates and bowls to control his portion sizes, and reign in any unhealthy snacking.

I use the same ikea small plates and the glasses (1 glass) of milk in a day at bedtime. Her portion size is small.

If your child is overweight it is because they are eating too much. Could she be stealing food? Buying sweets with own money?

Is she eating when not with you? Unless there's an underlying medical condition it is most likely a case of calories in exceeding calories burned.

you might have to be more specific about her meals. What does she eat on a typical day?

Over how long has she been putting weight on excessively? She sounds at least a stone overweight.

How much physical activity does she actually do daily and weekly? Does she have fizzy drinks? Is she sitting down a lot watching TV/tablet etc? Does she have anywhere to run around outside?

I notice a lot of kids at school putting weight on at this age and it's usually because they are doing not even the recommended activity levels which should be a minimum.

How about doing some activities together?

Could she be due a growth spurt? I've noticed some kids get a bit chubby then all of a sudden grow a lot in height.

Her meal portion is normal as per her age, not large. Her tv time has been the same and her physical activity too. She plays tennis for 1 hour daily after school. I have been noticing the extra pound since 6 months back or so.

Please stop kidding yourself. In the nicest possible way.

She's eating too much and the wrong things, and not doing enough exercise.

Keep a food diary. Be honest about it. You MUST get your head out of the sand and take responsibility, it's a terrible thing to allow a child to remain overweight.

Her meal portion is normal as per her age

What are you basing that on?

Her meal portion is normal as per her age, not large.

If everything else you say is true, then her portion sizes must be too big.

You say she eats fruit and veg "regularly", how often is regularly, and how much?

Reduce her carb intake immediately. That's what's responsible for tummy fat. I was the same aged 9 and my Mum didn't know it was the carbs as I was eating the same as my thin siblings. Please spare her years of torment and cut them down now.