Calling any parents: are you afraid your child will be obese?

[lauragshsu 6]

I'm juts curious if any parents are afraid their child will have a weight problem, and what you're doing. I'm terrified my daughter (she's only 2.5) will have to struggle and know the pain of growing p heavy. Im not restricting any foods, but everything in moderation. I also make sure she has plenty of outside time, running around, climbing, etc.

[sslouha 3]

My daughters are 13 and 14, the 13 year old has no issues what so ever, the older one I know will. Right now she is active but bulky! She has yearly check ups and so far she is fine, but the Dr is keeping a close eye on her and has told her to eat healthier and no more diet mountain dews. Since she is so you I am not on her, because she still is a kid, I just watch what she is eating. The one thing I am noticing she is eating more and more like me. She is eating all my veggies and eating my yogurt. Studies show that children will eat like their parents and I am seeing that now. So relax let your little one be herself, as you go loosing in this process she will copy what you are eating. I also bought the Jillian Micheal's Cook book she has great recipes that kids love with out all of the refined or process foods.

Good luck

Sandee

[lauragshsu 6]

I'm trying not to be obsessed with food and weight(hers or mine), becauseI know she will learn to do that from me. I don't want to tell her anything is off limits, because by doing that, it makes the food seem "special". My dad did that, and whenever he wasnt around, I would gorge on those off limit foods.

[Jachut 487]

I have 3 children. The oldest HAS become obese, he's almost 15, 5ft 9 and about 230lb. For an adult male that wouldnt be startlingly fat, but for a teenager, it is concerning. His main problem is that he has a large appetite (he actually eats mostly healthy because he's still under my control) and he is so lazy! He is asthmatic and although we never let it prevent him playing sport, he does obviously lack lung capacity and fitness to be as fit as other kids. Poor kid, he has absolutely no sporting ability whatsoever either, he's played basketball all his life, but it did finally get to the point last year where which his inability to keep up aerobically and his lack of talent, it just got embarrassing for him, he got dropped from a team, it was really just time to stop beating a dead horse so we finally let him quit. Since then, as I knew would happen, he's done very very little. He exercises his thumbs a lot on the Ps3 and that's it. We've banned that during the week, I try to encourage him to come to a circuit class with me but he just wont. There's only so much you can do. I look at him and I truly think its just a big combination of genetics and bad luck as much as anything. I do think though that once vanity kicks in (he hasnt really hit puberty yet) and the growth spurt happens, his weight will probably come a little more under control.

Do you know, its actually not the fatness that worries me, its the complete lack of any fitness. I cant imagine going through life puffing going up some stairs, I was never ever ever like that even at my fattest, I could still run and do active things. Lack of fitness really does lead to a poor quality of life.

Middle child, whippet thin, sporty, popular, outgoing.

Youngest child, a daughter, she's 7, she's getting porky too. She's showing a very similar trend to my oldest. I'm cracking RIGHT down on her, she's on a 'diet' without me telling her so or raising the subject. The junk is just not coming into the house, nobody needs it. Like her brother, you can just see the body type, although she's never and he was never, been one of the "fat" kids at the school. You'd say she was normal weight. But I can see the pattern. Its exactly like me as a child.

the difference is, as a child, I didnt have access to the kinds and amounts of junk that kids do now. McDonalds was a twice a year treat for me, my middle son (the thin one) considers it a daily event!

[annieM 2]

This was a big worry of mine because both my DH and I were overweight. My DH had bypass surgery and lost about 150 lbs and I've lost 70 with the band. Maybe seeing us struggle to lose has kept my kids thin? IDK.

My oldest is an extremely fit marine, my second is a size 4 and my third is a size 6. They make good food choices and I'm proud of the way they've turned out.

[Momto3redheads 18]

It is hard to be a parent and not worry...my oldest is me reincarnated - she is a picky eater and hates veggies with a passion...BUT unlike me as a youngster she is very althletic and into sports...so my goal is to keep her active and making as many healthy choices as we can without putting too much emphasis on weight. Obviously genetics are against some of us - as the middle one eats the same and is just as active, yet is not as solid. The baby is only 21 mos - so who knows where she will fall...I think the best we can do is encourage healthy habits, by modelling them as well, and trying to keep them active and off the couch. I definately don't want to make it worse and give them a complex more than they already have............kids can be so mean.

Kim

[purple3797 5]

i worry about it also. I don;t want my kids to go through the pain of being overweight. I guess we can only do our best and now with the band instill good eating values on them!

[HeatherinCA 10]

I'm not a parent, but I feel like my parents habits caused me to become obese. I'm 25 now, clearly I've been making my own decisions for a while. But the way I was raised, the food we ate as a family didn't help. I guess they just liked to spoil me, but I would think when I was young 10-18 that my parents would of been a little more concerned about what I was eating. I guess they were, but I've been fat as long as I can remember, I wish it would of never become a problem in the first place. My parents are overweight, but not as much as me. My mom maybe 30 pounds, my dad maybe 50.