I am not sure if my daughter has a problem with her weight. Yesterday she was in the bathroom with me and i told her to go on the scale just because i was curious to how much she weighed and when she stepped on it it read 124. I am not sure of what a 7 year old should weigh but is this a bit much or not? She does have a stomach. When she wears her bathing suite it sticks out rather far and jiggles. Is it just baby fat though? I am not exactly sure what to think. She likes to eat a lot. I try to get her to eat vegtables and things like that and she will but then later i find her sneaking food. I tell her that she can't do that and she agrees but still does it! Am i overeacting a bit?

You're probably not overreacting. The best way to know if your child has a weight problem for their age is get them evaluated by a pediatrician. They'll check her out and if she is overweight, they'll know the best way to adjust her diet so as not to deprive her of essential nutrients she needs to grow.

If you feel she's sneaking food, don't buy food that is sneakable. If you don't have unhealthy, high calorie food around to sneak it will solve that problem. http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif Get healthier snacks to keep around. Most humans should exerice at least 20 minutes of cardio, 3 times a week at minimium. This should be fairly easy for a healthy young girl like her. Maybe she'd like dance aerobic classes for children. They're pretty fun. Even if it turns out she's not overweight it's still imperative to instill in her healthy excercise habits that she can keep a lifetime.

Food shouldn't be used as a treat for good behavior. For example, when she behaves well, a promise of a trip for ice cream isn't such a good idea. I feel, using food as a reward for anything instills people to grow up with the idea reinforced that food is a reward when in fact what you want to teach them is that food is simply fuel and that you only need to eat when you're hungry.

Good luck.

Your daughter does seem to have a weight problem so have her seen by the doc and get this checked out. They will probably recommend a consult with a dietician who should be able to help you with making wise choices. Until evaluated by the doc why not get rid of the excess "junk" food and cookies etc you have in your house and replace it with lots of already cut up veggies and a light dip to go with it as well as lots of finger fruits such as already peeled and sectioned oranges or grapes. Keep plenty of the new flavors of yogart on hand for a great treat. Also if she likes lettuce how about looking at ways the two of you can creatively make new salads etc. The only way she can be getting at the excess foods in the house is if you or whoever does the shopping brings those foods into the house. By switching the foods you bring in the house her choices will be changed automatically. Good Luck.

Yes, 124 is definitely over weight. http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/frown.gif That is sad. My daughter weighs seventy pounds and she is tall for her age and by no means thin. She is seven almost eight. Time for a trip to your pediatrician. Remeber, it could be a physical problem causing it. Have her checked.

Yes, i will bring her to a doctor. How much should a child of her age weigh? Is she many pounds overweight?

According to the height and weight charts the weight for girls age 7 is 38.7# This would make her quite overweight for her age but only her doctor can really make that decision. Since this does indicate a large weight problem I would begin working on changing this now before it becomes a real problem. Good Luck.

considering that your daughter is half my age (im 14) and weighs almost 30 lbs more than me, i would have to go with yea, she's definatly overweight http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/frown.gif

Hi!

I just wanted to add a bit of advise!

My daughter is almost 10 and weighs around 95lb and she is a bit overweight for her age. I grew up a bit overweight myself and I didn't want my daughter to go through this because it is depressing for a child...it might not bother her now but when she is 10 or so it probably will.

Since my husband, my daughter and I are all overweight I decided I had to take charge of the situation since I was the one who was preparing all these wonderful, delicous meals that was assisting in the weight problem for all of us.

My husband is easy to please so he will eat whatever I make without ever complaining. As for my daughter, I made it like a game. We sat down with grocery store fliers and cut out pics of food. We then used 2 pieces of bristol board and labeled one as "healthy" food and one as "not so healthy food" It was interesting to see what she believed was healthy, I guess it is something that our kids don't learn much about anymore, through school and of course at home.

Don't feel guilty, there are a lot of parents setting bad eating patterns for their children, not that they are bad parents, just busy ones, or even uneducated about nutrition themselves..I was one myself only a couple months ago. I sure had a lot to learn and I still am learning new things everyday...the diet and nutrition board gives tons of helpful information!

Anyways...after discussing (in a way kids can understand) the foods we decided were healthy and glueing them to the board we put it up on the wall in the kitchen. Lots of days I let her help pick foods from the "healthy" poster to have for meals that day. It gives her confidence and educates, plus it was important to me not to tell her she had to go on a "DIET", I want her to look at this as a lifetime change, just as I am trying to do.

BTW-She also has treats...I do not think one should deprive a child of these, just limit to things that are not too bad and always in moderation.

A lot of excellent advise here, that's for sure. My son is 7 and wighs in at 102. He's tall for his age but is absolutely overweight. Actually, the doctor puts him down as "mildly overweight". He also sneaks food and will pout or cry when I tell him he can't have seconds. He doesn't feel ful unless he's stuffed and can't eat another bite, so he always complains that he's hungry. My son also has a problem with depression and it is becoming obvious that he wants food when he's upset. I bring this up because, while being overweight can lead to depression, it also works the other way around.

I'd also have to agree with the person who said you shouldn't deprive your child of all treats. If you can't keep them in the house then buy them in single servings. I like to get granola bars (at least there's a little bit of healthy stuff in them) or hard candies because they have no fat. Sugar free candy is also a good substitute. I have found that if I don't let my son have any treats at all he gets even worse about sneaking, whining, begging, and acting like I must not care about him because I'm willing to let him waste away to nothing. http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/smile.gif

Also, I've been told many times by health professionals that children should never be put on a diet. Yes, the amount of calories they eat should be kept under control, but it is best to make sure they get enough exercise and "grow into their weight".