Weight Problems

hi M., weight problems is a big issue, especially for a child... does she eat junk when you are not around possibly? another thing you can try is having her eat atleast 6 small meals a day. that will boost her metabolism. i have done that, and seems to work for me, since i have struggled with weight my whole life. maybe in the morning, have a good breakfast, then 3 hours later, eat a peice of fruit, then three hours later, lunch, and make sure she doesn't eat after 7pm, that will help too.... she seems very active, so her metabolism just needs a boost.. i hope this helps you..

D.

HI - you may want to get your daughter's tyroid checked. I have an underactive tyroid and believe me it makes loosing weight and keeping your weight under control diffucult at times. Here are some other signs to look for that are linked to an underactive tyroid - hair loss, brittle nails, fatigue (pain in the legs at the end of the day or activity), peeling nails, dry skin, and being very tired. Also, you may want to take her to an endocrinologist to diagose her. They can also check to see if she is diabetic - which is common with kids who are overweight. If she does get diagnosed with an underactive thyroid make sure that she does not take the generic synthroid (that's the med for this problem)since it seems to not work as well - speaking from experience. Another thing - if she has this condition don't worry its something that is easily controlled. In the beginning until they get her med at the right level she will have to go to the doctors for blood work a couple of times but once they have it controlled she will only have to go back one or twice a year for a check. Hope this info helps and good luck on getting to the problem of this.

My best friend has been on diets since she was 8 years old for a weight problem. As it turns out, she has thyroid problems and has to take medicine every day, twice a day for the rest of her life. My suggestion to you would be to take her to your doctor and ask specifically for bloodwork to be done on her thyroid and anything else that contributes to abnormal weight gain.
Best of luck, J.

Since your pediatrician was the first to tip you off to the weight problem he/she should be able to help you determine if there's a medical reason for the weight gain. Are you sure she's only eating what you provide for her meals? Kids are notorious for trading lunches and she could be snacking when she's at the neighbor's house. Keep a food diary for a few days and bring it to your pediatrician. At the very least, ask for a referral to a nutritionist. With the way things are labeled these days it's easy to get sucked into eating something that's not as good for us as we think it is. Good luck!

Is there a history of thyroid disease in the family? My daughter was diagnosed with hyper (overactive) thyroid in May at age 7. She could never keep weight on, though she ate a great deal. My inlaws have thyroid problems, and that's what tipped us off.
unfortunately, I have no other advice, other than to say checking the thyroid might be a good idea.

Dear M. M,
My oldest daughter grew up very thick. She was very active in sports, won most valuable player(mvp) in track and field in middle school. Marching band high school. She was eating all the time. She ate 1 serving of everything. She ate when I wasn't looking. She ate with friends. The nutritionist finally told me that the body had the most acturate scale. It measures everything. Whether I see it or not and whether my daughter remembered it or not. The good food will cause the body to gain weight too! I am still learning about portion size. I was shocked to learn that two chicken wing halves were a full portion serving (read the bag). Equally shocked that 1 jelly packet at McDonald's was a serving. Again, I was shocked that carbohydrates are limited to about 15 for breakfast, 15 for morning snack,60 for lunch, 15 for after noon snack, 60 for dinner, 15 carbs for after dinner snack. Nothing to eat or drink 2 hours before bedtime. When carbs at these intervals are too much and weight is still gained then change to decreasing fat not protein. Bake instead of fry. Steam instead of gravy. Use fresh squeezed fruit juice over salads dressing. Use fruit, nuts and veggie salads for snack instead of cookies and milk. Use omelet instead of toast & jelly for breakfast. Use yogurts and cheeses or nuts and fruit instead of cereal. Use veggie cheese instead or regular cheese. Use soy milk instead of whole milk. Use 3 raw vegetables and 3 coated vegetables. Cooked vegetables without extra meat or fat. Use whole grain bread instead of white bread. Use 1 slice bread instead of 2. Eat pasta w/out bread. Instead use 5 crackers w/salad. 1/2 bagel instead of whole. 9 fruits and vegetables a day reduces the intake of cereal, pizza, breads, french fries, double burgers, limit 1 instead of 2pieces of chicken, in a day or at a single meal. meat portions equal the size of a deck of cards. can't have baked potato w/works unless it is the main meal, cut extra fats for veggies and seasonings for flavor. If you can account for proper calorie count, proper protein count, proper carb count, and the child is still gaining weight, you can insist that a problem exist that you are not able to manage alone. The recommended therapy may be available through your child's school with human resources. Perhaps community social services has someone pro bono. Some religious groups help with health care needs. My daughter's health problems began to escalate during late adolescence and with her first and second pregnancy. Now our first grandchild has problems with insulin spikes. We didn't catch her root problems early enough. We all are working eating issues now. They include some of the things I have recommended. We are learning to recognize some of the health habits in us as females and in our parenting. Food represents a protection issue for our family. Father's security for the family is a well fed family. It represent's that he is a good and capable Dad. He is present for his family. For us as women, we are not afriad to be SAHM's. We cook for our children. We discipline them with love. We feed regularly and on time.We may not be particularly crafty, have much money, or able to walk to the park with our children but we send our children to school with a good breakfast and they come home to a hot meal for dinner. What's wrong with that I ask? I may not be able to shop on qvc or hsn but I can cook like the starson cooking shows. Therapy is helping us expand our possiblities and work through some of our hectic social family issues without overeating. Together we can manage this eating for good health. God bless your daughter and family. Thanks for sharing your concern for your family.

Dear M.,

I would have to assume that you have brought your concerns to your daughter's pediatrician. What does he or she suggest?

It would seem that you are doing all the right things, however sometimes children do go through those very "awkward" years in growing when they seem to hold onto baby fat longer than other children do. If your child's doctor has tested her for thyroid problems or any other physical reasons regarding her weight gain resulting in no answer, then I would tend to lean more on the side of it just being a period in her life where she is growing up but difficult to shed the extra weight that she has right now.

I would highly recommend, if you have not already done so, that you have her doctor test her for any possible thyroid problems, metabolism, or more in depth reasons why she seems to be active, eating healthy but still gaining weight.

You definitely don't want to make this a huge issue to her where you are watching every single thing that she eats and also others outside your family, such as your neighbor. You would be surprised how much kids pick up on what you think, feel, and react to in situations like this one. She might possibly be consuming food that you are not aware of simply because she is being watched so closely. Be very careful...girls are more delicate about this issue than boys.

I will end this with my advice that you seek the help of your daughter's pediatrician, have her tested, and then go from there.

Hope this helps and I wish you much luck.

T.