[Shoshana]

Is anyone else out there??

Are you worried?

My dd will be 5 in a week and she's obese. There. I said it. The pediatrician's word. No explanations, no caveats, no attempts to minimize.

I'm very worried, and feeling very unsuccessful at my attempts to slow down her weight gain.

I've never been overweight -- but that's not to imply that I have the healthiest relationship with food, either.

Has anyone read the recent article in the NY Times about liver disease in overweight children? I'll post a link if you're interested -- it's frightening.

 

[latierra84]

youre not alone. my brother and sister spend alot of time at my house. their mother works during the week from 2 pm until midnight and our dad works during the day on the weeks and the weekends. they spend alot of time with older siblings (i live on the other side of town) and i try to take them as much as possible. they have always been big kids and i try to take them to do as much outdoor and active activities but its hard. they either dont want to, they get bored, they shut down mentally or sometimes just dont want to come with me at all.... my brother wont come shopping with me anymore because he says i always park in the back and try to get tricky with getting him to walk more and its like.... im trying to help you!!! - i have gotten them drinking skim milk now and they wont drink anything else. at first my dad didnt really like that because everyone in that house drinks whole milk, but he's fine with it now.

my brother is definitely obese, my sister (9) im not sure. i know that she's heavier than she should be. sometimes i think its because im so used to seeing her that i start to think its normal. its a difficult subject because i know what its like to be an overweight, and unhealthy/unhappy child. they seem perfectly fine though. they tell me that they are normal sized in their school and that there are kids much bigger than them. that everyone is their size! that makes me worry.

 

[ansley]

I have a dd that I am starting to get worried about. She is big built like her dad and will never be small. At first I said that was all it was but it is to the point that I have to admit it. The Dr. hasn't said anything yet. :hmmm: I probably need to find the growth chart but not sure how accurate it will be with her being built like her dad and all. I want to do more outdoor things with the dc but our yard is not safe for the lo and we live in a rural area that doesn't have sidewalks or much to do. It has 1 park that has a stream going around it on 3 sides and a road on the other and I can't swim. LO would be miserable because I couldn't let him go play. KWIM? This past weekend I put in a children's cassette and we danced for about 30mins. That isn't enough but a start.

Food is another story. We eat angel food because that is what we can afford right now. It has a lot of breaded deep fried chicken (not healthy). This month I ordered the grilling box and the veggie box to help (I had a little extra cash).

I have not read the article and must admit that I am afraid to.

 

[Dancing Lotus]

I am a fat girl but both of my kids are skinny, underweight. I worry and that bothers me because I think that maybe they aren't getting enough and I try to fatten them up.
Gosh, this parenting things is hard. LOL

I guess if you are feeding her a balanced diet and she doesn't sit in front of the TV all day that's all you can do. And at her age I wouldn't say anything to her, I would not Put her on a diet. Just make sure there are plenty of healthy choices available and not many bad choices around for her to ask for.
If you start the "diet" cycle now she may struggle with it for the rest of her life.

 

[frugalbabe]

I have a dd (age 6)who is also heavy. The thing I can't figure is she is a really active kid she is constantly on her bike or in our backyard swimming pool. Her three brothers who are normal weight and even kind of skinny are not nearly as active as she is. I really think it is just her normal "setting point" she is built just like my dh from her they look so much alike it is uncanny. She is so active that it isn't really her health that bugs me so much as her self-image. The other girls in her class are all skinny minnies and she is just both taller and heavier than all of them. You have never met a sweeter kid though and smart...I just want her to like herself.

 

[ansley]

If you start the "diet" cycle now she may struggle with it for the rest of her life.

I don't think a "diet" is the answer either but when dh gives dd cookies, pop tarts, suckers, and etc all the time and she complains if I ask if she wants to go outside something has got to give.

I had hoped this thread would have some ideas on how to get our dc active. I plan to work with dd on Girl Scout patches that require outdoor or active things. I think the patch will help motivate her and if she has fun she may want to continue doing those things. Anyone have other ideas?