Any advice on how to curb DD's poor eating habits?

[Anonymous]

My DD is getting a bit heavy (14 yrs old). I keep healthy foods in the house and make well balanced meals. However, we live in a neighborhood where the kids can walk to many different stores/restaurants, and my DD and her friends go to the store, get candy, shakes, etc. and eat junk. She makes $ via babysitting, so she has the spending money.
This also seems what the kids do when they have sleepovers (not just in our house). I can see it catching up, and I'm trying to explain that doing this isn't healthy.

Any advice on how to curb her behavior? I have read that any negative mention of weight can create issues, so I'm worried about how to approach this.

[Anonymous]

Does she play sports?

Travel soccer kept my weight down. I easily gained weight over those hormonal years 14-17. Athletics were my savior.

I did indoor track winters and it got me into a lifelong running/exercise habit.

The nutrition fell in line.

[Anonymous]

Continue putting tasty healthy snacks in front of her when she comes home from school. Fruit is now coming back into season. Berries are always good with vanilla yogurt.

See if she wants to participate in making the family healthy. Walk together, talk about YOU choosing and encourage her to do the same and celebrate that.

Talk about moderation.... not eating the whole can of pringles but have 10-12 chips.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DD is getting a bit heavy (14 yrs old). I keep healthy foods in the house and make well balanced meals. However, we live in a neighborhood where the kids can walk to many different stores/restaurants, and my DD and her friends go to the store, get candy, shakes, etc. and eat junk. She makes $ via babysitting, so she has the spending money.
This also seems what the kids do when they have sleepovers (not just in our house). I can see it catching up, and I'm trying to explain that doing this isn't healthy.

Any advice on how to curb her behavior? I have read that any negative mention of weight can create issues, so I'm worried about how to approach this.

Doing this wouldn't be healthy even if she were thin as a rail. Focus on the healthy eating, not the weight..

[Anonymous]

OP Here- yes, she plays travel lacrosse- tons of exercise.

Yes- I'll try working on moderation and focus on the healthy eating habits. Honestly, I have been telling her that pretty regularly, but she seems to binge eat at times.

Thanks for the feedback.

[Anonymous]

Do you have any negative self-talk over foods or your body or was you daughter exposed to any?

[Anonymous]

My son doesn't have as much access to cash as your daughter. Nor does he have the time to spend at restaurants and stores. That's how we do it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son doesn't have as much access to cash as your daughter. Nor does he have the time to spend at restaurants and stores. That's how we do it.

How do you keep him so busy? My children do sports, work hard at school and still have time to pal around with friends.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you have any negative self-talk over foods or your body or was you daughter exposed to any?

I'm pretty balanced when it comes to eating and fitness. I take care of myself but am not overly extreme about it- normal BMI and exercise regularly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son doesn't have as much access to cash as your daughter. Nor does he have the time to spend at restaurants and stores. That's how we do it.

Same here. My daughter also babysat in high school, but we told her flat out that just because she earned money it wasn't hers to do whatever she wanted with. Firstly, half goes into long term savings. Secondly, by high school, she had to pay for all gifts for family and friends. Thirdly, a treat is special. Like, once a week. Not every day after school.

OP, I would tell her that it's not about weight that concerns me. It's about all the invisible things we CAN'T see, like cholesterol and heart disease and salt intake and blood pressure and diabetes. I understand wanting to go with your friends to unwind. But you need to have a few different ways of unwinding. What about going for a walk with a friend?

[Anonymous]

Would this bother you if she had remained size 0 or 2?
Still not the best habits.
What is really bothering you is that your daughter is not going to have a petite frame like you.
Sure encourage healthier habits, but be honest about what the real issue is.
Your daughter's adult frame is shaping up to be more like Jennie Runk and you'd prefer Gisele Bundchen

[Anonymous]

Tell her to be choosy when she eats out with friends, lika a small bag of potato chips instead of a big one, etc. she is social eating, so she won't want to stop, so tell her how to choose smaller portions,

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DD is getting a bit heavy (14 yrs old). I keep healthy foods in the house and make well balanced meals. However, we live in a neighborhood where the kids can walk to many different stores/restaurants, and my DD and her friends go to the store, get candy, shakes, etc. and eat junk. She makes $ via babysitting, so she has the spending money.
This also seems what the kids do when they have sleepovers (not just in our house). I can see it catching up, and I'm trying to explain that doing this isn't healthy.

Any advice on how to curb her behavior? I have read that any negative mention of weight can create issues, so I'm worried about how to approach this.

Can't speak for your DD but my son put on weight before he hit a growth spurt. Could that be true for your daughter?

[Anonymous]

OP--define "heavy." What is her height and weight? I'm asking because for all we know, you could be someone with body image issues and thinks anyone over a size 2 is "heavy."

I'm most concerned about your post at 20:09 where you say she is binge eating.

[Anonymous]

what does she eat for breakfast and lunch? Some people need to have heavier, protein and healfhy fat filled meals earlier in the day to prevent them from being ravenous later. If she's truly binging, her body may be craving nutrition she didn't get earlier in the day (but though the body craves one type of nutrition, the hand reaches for another type)