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Children's health

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Original poster

Trying to help an overweight DD

8 replies

MrsOnTheMove · 30/06/2011 11:27

DD1 is 8.5 she has been between 91st and 98th centile since birth and height on 50th. Over the last 8 years we have encouraged a healthy diet and lots of exercise.

On occasions we have visted the GP or health visitor for advice regarding her 'large tummy' always being told 'she will have a growth spurt and grow out of it'

This morning I went to our new GP (without DD) to discuss her weight as she is now being teased at school and becoming very self conscious especially when swimming or in a wet suit.

He couldn't offer me any advice that I wasn't already doing; LOTS of exercise, water not squash, choosing the right fruit and veg, whole foods etc. The only suggestion was to take her off school lunch and give her packed lunch.

Anyone managed to help their child reduce weight? Obviously she isn't on a diet but any suggestions would be great, in particular portion sizes for packed lunch.

GP did say use a online calorie counter but couldn't tell me how many calories she should be eating

OP posts:

bubbleymummy · 30/06/2011 18:30

I'm sure you'll be able to find calorie recommendations for an 8 year old with a quick google. What kind of sports does she do? Would she be interested in something like ballet/gymnastics that would use stomach muscles? Does she eat many sweet things alongside the healthy things you provide?

thisisyesterday · 30/06/2011 18:35

does she do much exercise? healthy eating is great... but you do need to be active to burn calories off.
also, check your portion sizes...

Original poster

MrsOnTheMove · 30/06/2011 22:37

OK - have googled calories anything between 1750 and 2000 seems norm that seems a lot?

She does lots of exercise on a weekly basis trampolining (lesson not garden ) surfing, sailing, netball, tennis, swimming plus PE at school (includes extra swimming) and as we live close to sea usually walks or body surfing etc. at weekends

OP posts:

cybboid · 30/06/2011 22:39

That is an adults calorie requirement

You say she exercises and alot, and eats healthily. So what has made her overweight? She must be eating too much of something bad, too often

Original poster

MrsOnTheMove · 30/06/2011 22:41

Have had a chat tonight with all the family... under the pretence of getting mummy healthy we are on a drive for lots of water, no treats in the house (not that there were many) and only packed lunches.

DD's didn't bat an eye lid! Though DD1 did ask if she could have school lunch tomorrow as it is fish going to focus on portion control.

OP posts:

Original poster

MrsOnTheMove · 30/06/2011 22:46

cybboid the only thing we have noticed since she was a baby is she doesn't have an off switch (if that makes sense) she could eat and eat and eat!

I can only think her portions are too big.. I tried to set up an online counter but proving difficult as she is a child and many do not register her birth year.

As I say she has been consistently on about 95th centile since birth so no major fluctuations but I do not want it to continue into adulthood. DD2 is average for her age, but also tall. I'm short and DH average GP tried to say she had unfortunate genes.

OP posts:

jellybelly75 · 30/06/2011 23:03

Sounds very similar to my DD (7.5), she definately has no "off switch" as you put it! She really is a bottomless pit and it is down to me to control her portion sizes - she very rarely leaves anything on her plate at mealtimes, which everyone says is fantastic, we are so lucky to have such a good eater etc, but when her BMI was bordering on obese I decided I had to pay closer attention to how much she was eating.

I reduced her portion sizes a little and cut back on the treats (not that I have ever let her have lots of treats as I have always been conscious of her being a bit overweight), and I also found switching to packed lunches (which I can then control) did help. With school dinners, she would always choose the cakey/stodgy puds if she had the choice, whereas with packed lunches its fruit and a yoghurt for pud. You do still get the peer pressure with packed lunches though - I get "mummy, so and so has crisps and a choc bic in their lunchbox everyday, why can't I?" etc, at which point we have a quick refresher of healthing eating habits (which she has recently learned about at school). I let her choose a treat one day a week (either a pack of crisps, small cake, choc bic etc), and she has Friday Fun Lunch (school dinners) on a Friday, but other than that its healthy lunchboxes :)

Good luck with it - try keeping a food diary for a couple of weeks so you can really see how much she is eating (sometimes you forget about little snacks here and there unless you write them all down :-).

xxx

munchausens · 04/07/2011 13:23

Unsure why GP would say there is no advice on the amount of calories for a child. Our paed referrred my son to an NHS dietician and we had to keep a food diary for a few days and then they were able to report exactly what calories my son was eating against the recommended for a child of that age.

Also the quantities of each food group against the recommended. The only fault was that it records on age not height so whilst it found my son was only eating half the amount he should it did not take into account his short height. If your daughter is average height then a nutritionist should be able to advise the amount very easily.

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