Hi don't know if this is the right place but been told daughter has to go on diet???!!

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My daughter is 8 ys old and is larger and taller than an average 8 yr old.She has been seen by the school health nurse which they do here and she was concerned because her weight and height is increasing very fast!DD has problems with BO and she has i think little buds forming on her chest ,now that might be because she is overweight i don't know
So we have been on our own nurse and I to the Gp but she was no help really just said to put her on a diet and make sure she is excercising.It is a bit difficult to excersise when weather is bad they dont mind going on trampoline when it is windy but they draw the line when it is tipping it down with rain!So any advice what to feed her? I just get soo confused with food labels as a single mum i buy cheap as can b i just looked at tin of beans and it says
sugar8.6% then underneath that 10% is that bad!! they are Tesco value beans should I b buying other brand with less sugar in,oh god i am in such a mess!!!help please.thanks.

Just to say thanks, Wisteria & Serenity -- will have a look at both of those (and maybe join in!)

thanks everyone will let you know what Gp says next week after examining her.I really don't know how to handle this without hurting her feelings,she is beautiful and I keep telling her that but she gets fed up and goes to her room....
Will let you all know how it goes, thanks!

Firstly I would look at this as your problem to sort out not hers, I wouldn't even tell her there is a problem, if you see what I mean. I wouldn't put too much focus on the calorie or fat counting. Concentrate on healthy eating for the whole family.

I did charts for the whole family whan I was on my last health drive, we all got to colour in a veggy for every fruit and veg portion we had, same for water, protien, calcium etc. Focuses more on getting enough of the right stuff not on restrictions. Watch your portion sizes too.

The whole family will have to get involved in activity too. Look at fun stuff. Walking, swimming, brownies, gymnastics, running around the back garden, swing park, dancing around to music videos, ballroom dancing in the living room while strictly is on, Wii games; anything to get her and all of you up and about. Look at getting the whole family out for a walk or a bike ride every weekend with rewards at the end like an adventure playground or feeing the ducks.

NHS advice
Food Standards Agency
Tips
Loads of links

Plate poster (poster 100) and Blank plate to fill in (worksheet 104)

About the compliments thing: I didn't have much self esteem about the way I looked as a child (no particular reason)and I used to HATE being told I was pretty or beautiful. I didn't know how to accept compliments gracefully and didn't believe them.

My dd1 is overweight, but that's partly to do with what she eats (or more to the point, what she won't eat), and this I'm struggling with the whole time. It's not that dd eats a lot, it's just that she eats the wrong food and won't touch what's good. I think fat, rather that sugar are the main no-nos in losing weight, although neither are great. She does, thankfully, take lots of exercise. She is 9 and is showing signs of puberty. I don't know how true it is, but I was told by a friend that there is some correlation between body mass and early puberty.

Sorry, not much help at all, but you're not alone in this struggle. She's very lucky to have a mum that cares enough to want to try and do something to help

I think its completely normal to be a bit chubby at this age. Do they not call it puppy-fat? I am going to be controversial and tell you I would not even take her to the doctor. I would do my best to make her diet as healthy as possible and go for lots of walks together, but I would never let her hear a single word about others worrying about her diet. If she was really overweight/obese then yes, but she doesn't sound like she is and I think this could be something she could grow out of or perhaps she will always be a little on the big side. Who says being a little on the big side is that unhealthy? Your DDs diet sounds ok to me and I think there ar eprobably lots of skinny children in that school who have really awful diets, but they are not targeted just because they are skinny and everyone assumes skinny is healthy.

I was quite chubby as a child and developed early. I looooved my food and was taller than everyone in class. I am still tall, but I am a size 8-10. Just lost the puppy fat once I hit my teens.

I agree that being told you're beautiful when you know you're not is actually worse for self esteem. Far better to concentrate on a piece of truth, whether that be personality 'eyes' 'teeth' smile etc. Everyone has something beautiful about them. Children aren't daft.

My mum always said I had fantastic legs and I knew that was a lie!! I still don't wear shorts to this day.

I agree with Fairy Mum as well - really wouldn't bother with the Dr until the diet changes had taken effect, it's more likely to make her paranoid about it. If she is going through the onset of puberty then it will take a while for it all to settle down and there's very little a dr can do about it tbh. Prepare her for periods though.
Both my girls were fairly chunky between the ages of 7 and 11 and dd1(14) is now a size 6 and 5'4", lucky girl eats like a pig incidentally. Dd2 is nearly 12 and is just beginning to stretch out her puppy fat but started her periods early.

thanks again everyone! I have printed out the dinner plate and I am going to stick it on the fridge to remind us all!!
I will try not to keep telling my dd she is lovely instead I will praise her for her clever brain she is so good at maths.

Haven't read the whole thread so sorry if this was mentioned before... we have a dance mat that plugs in to the TV and my girls love it. It can get really energetic and you might even be tempted to join in.