Daughter 15 wants to lose weight

[Elibest]

My 15 y old wants to lose weight in a structured and gradual way following a menu designed for her. Do you know an expert in adolescent weight loss who can help her?

Slimming World offer support for teenagers. I think it's free for ages 11-15, and a reduced price for 16-17yo.

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Is she overweight or just being body conscious?

Could you encourage her to take up a sport to increase fitness, or do gym membership?

Tell her to speak to the school nurse. School nurses usually have a drop in session or get her to ask her form tutor make her appointment.

Please don't send her to SW or similar - diets do not work, she is almost certain to end up heavier than she started in the long term and worst case scenario, with disordered eating (if not an actual eating disorder). Does she genuinely need to lose weight? A much better approach would be to get her interested in nutrition and taking care of her body, finding the foods that really work (or don't) for her, the exercise/movement she loves. A nurturing approach rather than a critical and punishing/restrictive one.

My advice would be for her to eat as little processed food as possible and to always stop eating before she feels full. When we eat until we are full are stomach gradually expands and little by little needs a bit more to get the full feeling. Likewise stopping before you feel full give your stomach a chance to shrink a bit.

They also say it is good to eat little and often to avoid getting ravenously hungry.

Agreed Coyoacan - tuning in to natural appetite is key - trying to deny it/manipulate it as we do on diets is disastrous and it's very hard to get the connection back again once you've established a good/bad or 'shouldn't' mentality.