How do you know when your teen is overweight?

[Snailinashell123]

The reason being my Dd is 5 ft 7 and weights 8 stone 10, and is starting to look a bit chubby. Although we eat healthily, she has started buying junk food on her way to school and gorging on it throughout the day. However, last nigh she came to me crying that she knows she is fat and she doesn't seem to be able to control her eating, leading to her binging on junk. What should I do?

Check here: www.nhs.uk/tools/documents/healthy_weight_v3/healthy_weight.html?variant=phone

Assuming she's about 14 (you said teenage) then she is smack bang in the middle of healthy weight. Education and guidance is key in terms of healthy snacks with teenagers but under no circumstances is she chubby.

How old is she? 5ft 7 and 8 stone 10 doesn't sound overweight and inputting the figures into a BMI calculator gives you 19.1 which is the lower end of normal.

Ah sorry I was using an adult BMI calculator.

Five foot seven and 8 stone 10 does not sound very heavy for a teenager.

However, the binge eating is something you need to talk to her about and maybe seek help for via the GP

I'm 5ft 7 and weigh 11st4. The absolute top of healthy BMI and I DO look a bit chubby. I am a 42 yo mum of two tho! At 15 I weighed 8st2, rising to 9st 2 by the time I finished sixth form. This was plenty slim enough, not skinny but nice and slim.

Is your daughter active? This will probably help her tone up and almost certainly help her self esteem. Daily walking - 2 miles a day- swimming, cycling, would all help.