Weight

[Artemis27]

Our 11 year old has come home for first half term from boarding school and has put on a lot of weight. How do we handle it?

How much is a lot?
I think you need to be very careful- they are probably completely aware if it, and could be sensitive about the subject, probably feeling fragile emotionally about it.
Do you do activities as a family, that encourage a healthy lifestyle? Are they v hoomesick and comfort eating? Or is it perhaps more linked to the quality of food offered?

I think you should talk to the school about what they feed him/her. My DD, who is 8, would definitely be over weight if she had school dinners every day, so she has packed lunches and school dinner once a week. Teh typical school dinner has too many carbs and pudding should not be served on a daily basis.

sorry, also my children put on weight before a grwoth spurt, may be relevant, particularly if a girl!

Might the eating be an emotional thing (as in adapting to change and being away from home). I'd explore this, before tacking the eating/weight per se.

It is indeed a serious problem but can be solved. I think you should first talk to the school authority as the kind of food they serve and you must also try to know whether your child do any physical activity or not. Some children are very emotional and some feel homesickness. You have to check out all these reasons.Good Luck

The biggest problem is too much processed food that we eat and feed our children.

Most processed foods have a laundry list of ingredients similar to that of a can of paint. It's not as simple as adding a little sugar to canned bisque or lemon juice to a scone mix.