DS is never going to be very thin. He has a big dad, my brothers are big and I'm no whippet myself.. So, he is naturally chunkier than a lot of other kids. I am generally on top of it - don't keep any snacks in the house, try and encourage exercise etc. etc.
The problem is is that he obviously has a problem with his body and I have no idea what to do about it. During swimming he tried to cover up his tummy/torso with his arms, sort of hunching over every time he gets out of the pool. He is even getting to the point where he doesn't want me to see him without a top on, as is it clear that he is embarrassed about his body.
I try to praise - I really do. I have never made his weight an issue. Although I'm not the thinnest, I have no weight "issues" myself and am a keen runner/cyclist, so I like to think I'm setting a relatively good parental example. His dad (we don't live together) may be teasing him, which obviously won't help, but I have tried to address this as much as I can..
What else can I do? It is breaking my heart a bit TBH and I'm at a bit of a loss. He also doesn't help himself by hunching over all the time, which just looks worse, but trying to get this over to an 8 yr old in a helpful manner is almost impossible! Help!