My three-year old is worried about being fat

[Becdan]

I am increasingly noticing that my daughter is talking about how fat she is and what a fat tummy she has. In fact she is a tall, lithe, fit, healthy, perfectly in proportion three and a half year old. Apart from being horrified that girls' worries about their weight start as young as three, how do I sort this one out? How can I tell her that she's perfect as she is without implying that if she really was fat it would be a problem?

Neither her father or I are exactly sylph-like, although we aren't huge either, but we NEVER talk about dieting or complain about our weight or talk about "good" or "bad" food. She knows we both go to the gym, but we tell her it's because we enjoy being healthy and strong rather than because we want to lose weight. So where does this come from, and what can I do about it? Help please!

Becdan, I too am surprised that she is talking about her weight at this age.

Having boys, I don't know what to say. My oldest has always had a bit of a pronounced tummy and we have had lots of tummy comments from him aged 5 onwards.

I think some child development books have simple illlustrations of a 'typical' toddler shape (with tummy) and a 'typical' school-age child shape (with a waist). If you can dig out something like this, you could show your daughter how her shape is changing all the time - perhaps relate it back to her changing from baby to toddler. I don't know if she is old enough to take this in, though.

And when my son has mentioned his 'fat'tummy, I have made a point of telling him how nice it is - just like the rest of him!

Is anybody playing with her and saying something like look at your fat tummy but only in play.