Help my teenager is overweight

[Pridehouse]

My 15 year old is severely overweight. I don't know what to do.

He has tried slimming world with me. He's a good eater. Every night he has a portion of chicken with a third of his plate with broccoli and peas and just a sandwich and treat at dinner and toast for breakfast.

He walks to and from school everyday which is 2 miles away and goes on walks at the weekend

To gain weight you need to be eating more calories than you consume. There is no way that is all your son is eating.

*than you use/burn

@Pridehouse You might be better asking MNHQ to move this to the 'weight loss' section as this section is about training with weights rather than slimming.

Has he always eaten a similar diet to what you've described in your OP? What is his BMI?

Has he always been overweight? Are you 100% certain that's all he eats? What about the journey to and from school? Does he have money to buy snacks (I know kids when I was at school who'd buy chips on the way home and then have tea when they got back).

Could he be secretly eating more, maybe buying snacks with his pocket money and eating them on the way to and from school, or hiding them in his room. I remember as teenagers some of my friends would have a full chippie dinner most nights waiting for the bus, then presumably whatever their parents dished up. Maybe you could have a look at his route and whether there are any opportunities for him to be doing similar. Also, I'm sure you're on top of this but what is he drinking? He could have a brilliant diet but if he's having 2l a day of full sugar pop then this would make a huge difference.

If not, and he is genuinely eating what you describe then I would take him to the GP. It could possibly be a hormonal issue, be that his thyroid, a problem with his adrenal gland increasing levels of cortisol (such as Cushings), or the hypothalamus such as increased ghrelin production which regulates appetite.

What's his BMI? Also if he is eating as you descibe, how long for?

Go to your GP and get some proper help for him. Eating the same food over and over is not healthy.

Such a restricted diet isn’t good for a developing child.

Have you looked into possible medical causes?

Either his portion sizes are ridiculously big, or he’s eating food elsewhere. What’s he eating in school? No way is an active 15yo boy hugely obese on a piece of toast, a sandwich and a bit of chicken and veg a day

Agree with investigating what he may be eating on that journey to and from school.

My ds was overweight when lockdown ended but has slimmed down to a medium build by cutting out a lot of the junk that he was eating. His journey to school includes an industrial park which has a McDonalds, B&M and other cheap food outlets where he would drink too much fizzy drinks and eat whole packets of supermarket budget range biscuits etc He still eats them sometimes but it's not as often as he used to. He also makes subtle smarter choices like the baked Walkers crisps with a supermarket meal deal or going for chicken pieces rather than crisps as the meal deal snack. High Protein is fashionable which helps.

Does your son do any exercise over the walking? My ds has some weights and he regularly goes to play football or basketball with friends.

Take him to the GP?

Slimming world don't take teenagers so what you you mean is you've tried to make him follow the slimming world plan.

Would he go to the gym? Could you get a male personal trainer for him to show him how to exercise and improve his self esteem.

What are the portion sizes like in your house?
Only make enough food to give everyone a reasonable portion. Don't leave extra out for second helpings.

Walking won't make a difference if he is ambling along. He needs to be walking fast enough to raise his heartbeat and to sweat.

Slimming world don't take teenagers so what you you mean is you've tried to make him follow the slimming world plan.

Unfortunately, they do.