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Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

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Original poster

my slim fit almost teen is looking chubby!!

14 replies

slacklucy · 12/04/2012 00:23

he is very active plays all sports, rarely sits still not really a computer type will go on the playstation if raining
Doesnt have a bad diet but probabily has a little more chocolate than he should but never drinls sugary drinks mainly just water.

So is this weight gain... chubby hips, moobs etc just a normal hormonal thing around this age or does he really need to watch his diet??

He is quite self conscious & has noticed himself as he moaned to me this morning that he is "too flabby"

Can i reassure him it will sort itself out as he grows upwards or is he destined to an adult life of fat fighting?

OP posts:

tabulahrasa · 12/04/2012 00:27

He's probably just about to shoot upwards...

Original poster

slacklucy · 12/04/2012 00:31

Thanks Tabulahrasa, thats what i've been telling him but he seems to have a proper downer about it at the moment.
He seems bothered that his mates are all skinny even the less active ones

OP posts:

FoofyShmooffer · 12/04/2012 00:33

Agree with Tabulah. Growth seems to happen in fits and starts. He may have a stretch coming on

tabulahrasa · 12/04/2012 00:35

My DS definitely got chunky then grew about a foot, then got chunky and grew some more...I'm hoping he's about done now as he's not 16 yet and already 6 foot, lol

uruculager · 12/04/2012 00:35

Is the rest of your family chubby?

flow4 · 12/04/2012 00:49

My younger son grew a bit of puppy-fat last autumn/winter, in the months before his 12th birthday. He got very self-conscious about it and started to modify/restrict his food intake, even though I told him that it probably meant he was due a growth spurt. For instance, instead of taking a sandwich, crisps and fruit for his packed lunch, he took just rice cakes and fruit. I found this pretty worrying tbh. Then in about March, lo and behold he grew about 8cm in a few weeks, and dropped all his puppy-fat. He has started eating more again now, since he has seen the evidence with his own eyes. I am wary now tho - I think that kind of self-consciousness about food is not healthy for a child this age... And my worry is also influenced by the fact that my friend's 14yo daughter has just been admitted to hospital for a long-term stay because of her bulimia and dangerous weight loss. It is SO sad that kids so young worry about weight :(

Original poster

slacklucy · 12/04/2012 20:00

thanks everyone, i think he is maybe due a growth spurt. DH & I are both a bit overweight, but because we both do very little exercise & eat too much.
unlike ds who.. does rugby training & football club at school plus football training for his club followed by a weekend match, games & PE at school & goes in for whatever comps/clubs are running, cross country etc
And he says if he hasnt got a school lunch club he plays football on the field.
At home he usually spends an hour or so on the trampoline or kicking a ball around the garden.... he should be stick thin!
I dont mind him having a healthy appreciation of what is OK & balanced in terms of diet & exercise but i dont want him to worry about it. At the moment his desire for the odd treat is stronger than his desire to diet so I think we are ok for now.

OP posts:

BackforGood · 12/04/2012 20:22

ds definitely grew out before he grew upwards.
From around 13 - 15 he was quite chubby (I was worried a lot), then at 15yr 2months he grew about 4 inches, and sort of 'grew into his weight'. He's continued to keep growing upwards and is well proportioned now even if I do say so myself. He's not 16 yet though and still growing taller each week at the moment.

RiversideMum · 13/04/2012 08:55

You could be talking about my DS. Loads of sport - but gettig fatter all the time. I'm quite relaxed about it, but DH is really getting out of hand. Unfortnately for DS, DD is thin as a rake - equally sporty, but never got tubby.

ImperialBlether · 14/04/2012 19:54

I remember going to a sex education night at my son's school and they showed a video with examples of boys that age - they all broadened, then shot up - that was repeated a number of times before they reached full height. I think if he just cuts out chocolate for a month he'll be fine.

basildonbond · 15/04/2012 18:38

hmmm is this 'fattening up before growing' thing supposed to be universal?

ds has just turned 15, is insanely fit (does minimum of 2 hours sport a day) but has never had an ounce of flesh on him - it's all muscle, however he's not particularly big - v slim, and hasn't had a 'proper' growth spurt yet - he's about 5'8"-5'9", size 10 feet (they've had a growth spurt!!), no visible body hair etc so doesn't look particularly 'mature'

now I'm wondering if he's not able to grow because he's using up all the calories he's taking in just to get through the day and he's not got any energy left over - or does it not work like that?

BackforGood · 15/04/2012 20:37

No - I wouldn't say so (just anctedotal, looking at ds's mates and a few relatives - I'm no medic).
Lots of lads just grow upwards - eat non stop but skinny as rakes, however, we are just reassuring the OP that also a lot of teen lads do grow outwards first, and it all comes out in the wash, as it were.

gramercy · 17/04/2012 13:44

I am seeking reassurance from this...

Ds is 13 and has got rather tubby. He has quite a big appetite. He is really unsporty although I make sure he walks everywhere.

He is also the smallest in the year - he is in Year 9 and is regularly mistaken for a Year 7. He only has size 3 feet as well. I am hoping that he is laying down some stores for some upward growth.

IloveJudgeJudy · 18/04/2012 15:12

I've got two DSs - one 17 and one 13. They look alike, but are completely different physically. DS1 is quite sporty, was chubby from birth to about 8, but is now very slim and 5' 9" and even though he doesn't have so much time to do the amount of sport he used to, he's still slim.

DS2 was not so chubby when young, put on weight in Y6 and Y7 and suddenly now towards the end of Y8, has slimmed right down and shot up. He's not sporty at all, but does a lot of walking - to school, paper round, into the town centre and back, etc.

I'm sure your DS will be fine, especially as he's so sporty. If you can, don't let DH go on about it as DC can be quite sensitive about it. And please, please, don't compare builds between the DC (but I'm sure you know , just don't let DH say anything). It's fantastic that he's still doing so much sport.

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