Hi all,

I am a bit down today, my DD who is nearly 14 has announced she wants to be referred to a dietician, she has always been on the large side (9lb 10 when she was born!) and never been bothered about it but since she has gone to high school she has been called fat on a number of occasions and I think it is getting to her a bit now (she is quite popular and outgoing though so it is not too bad)

Anyway to cut a long story short she stepped on the scales this morning and found she is 13 stone 7 lbs (she is 5 feet 8 tall) and according to a teen height weight chart I found she is 37 lbs overweight!!

I feel awful, we do eat healthily most of the time - takeaways probably once a week, the trouble is all the extras she has - sweets especially and her portion sizes are large as she has a massive appetite! She does not take much exercise either, her main pastimes are xbox and computer based activities - I just feel I should have controlled her eating more!

Sorry to waffle on and if anyone has any good advice please share - thanks in advance

I weighed 15 stone when I was 14 and I'm really happy that she's interested in learning a lot about healthy eating.

I think it's a good idea and you can help her by helping her to learn about healthy habbits, but don't nag and don't police the food. I think it's a very personal journey and at that age if my Mum was doing something I wouldn't want to do it with her, like Weight Watchers!

Encourage gym time/swimming/cycling etc. Could she bike to school?

So be proud that she wants to take healthy, positive action rather than starving herself (like I did) and going overboard with exercise to the detriment of her studies (like I did). Be proud of your girl

Yes, good idea to start taking action now. When I was 13, I was 5ft 5ins and 11st 8lbs. Aside from then spiralling into anorexia, I'm glad I bothered to do something about it then! Good on you for caring and wanting to help, etc.

emily
xxx

You might consider DDR (dance, dance, revolution) for the xbox. I'm in the US in central wisconsin, so I'm a little fuzzy on where else the game is available, but my understanding is that the game is internationally popular. And I've seen it fairly inexpensively online.

That is a fab idea thanks I will have a look online for it now!!

thanks everyone for your support

well i was the same and my parents did nothing. i eventually came to realise by myself that i needed to lose the weight thou it would have been better if i had lost it sooner rather than later

I've been the same height/weight as your daughter now for about 3 years (currently 19 years old). And I've finally gotten tired of it.

I am an avid DDR fanatic, if you have a PlayStation2, I found that that is the best platform for the game itself. You can also get versions for the PC, but I recommend having it for the PS2 just so you dont have to connect a pc to your tv along with so many other gadgets!

I am also looking into Hoop Dancing, because I need a low impact exercise and DDR can be strenuous on my knees. For every extra pound you carry, 4 pounds of pressure are exerted upon your knees and hips! Hoop Dancing is a full body workout, a cardio one at that! 30 minutes, 5x a week should jump start a decent weight loss. Once you really start getting into it, you can burn in excess of 600-800 calories a hour!

Also, you can easily make your own hoops (as store bought ones arent good enough for adults or teenagers to use). This can be a ton of fun for a youngster. We all know how much girls can get caught up in glitter and bright pretty colors! It may very well be that your daughter could get her friends into it as well, so she's not alone. Decorating the hoops is a good bonding experience. Its almost like a slumber party type activity. Its so much fun, you wont even think of it as exercise! Its something we all loved growing up, and its now coming out as a wonderful core workout! Its so versatile and inexpensive as well. I know a lady who will make customized hoops for people for around £12-£15. Remember, these are heavier than your Asda or Tesco toy hoops. Lighter hoops are harder to keep up!

If you'd like, I have all sorts of links with loads of material on Hoop Dancing, making your own hoop, etc if you're interested!

And...in addition to the DDR

...I think if you can afford it, indulge her wish to see a dietician. Even if you could give EXACTLY the same advice, it will be received better from the external neutral source. Plus they have the tools and props to work WITH her to let HER take control, rather than her feeling like YOU are taking control

You say you feel you should have controlled it more, it's possible that had you tried it would have backfired. Food and control is a VERY delicate balance.

She is motivated now, help her by giving her TOOLS, but let her be the one to implement them. NO NAGGING! Let her ask for your help more often than you offer it.