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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]“Crazy” PP here. I’ll try to explain what I mean in a more palatable way, lol. I was rushing to respond and also am frustrated by PPs who are certain everything can be addressed by either calorie and portion control OR deferring to a child’s “intuition”. Neither approach supports what’s really going on when kids gain weight or struggle to feel satisfied, which is complex.

To start, my kids eat lots of fruit. But if one was struggling with excess weight, I would *not* go out of my way to encourage eating, say, a cluster of grapes as a stand-alone snack. To do so denies everything we know about metabolic health. Of course I’m not going to shame them or restrict the grapes if that’s what they choose. But I’m going to try and fill the “home diet” (for all family members) with things we know support satiety/fullness. Especially because it’s so hard to control what they eat at parties. There is no downside except maybe the cost of avocados, olives, nuts, salmon or whatever your kids will eat. Unlike other interventions, it doesn’t harm your relationship and can be introduced slowly and without fanfare.

The unfortunate truth is that each generation is dealing with a compounding effect of all the increased antibiotics, endocrine disrupters, formula, pre-term births, stressful/cortisol-spiking infant environments, increased maternal insulin resistance, culture of snacking and so on and so on. I have been unable to avoid several of these and say this with zero judgement. Kids today also have fewer chances to build protective muscle because they aren’t out lifting and working in the same way. This is all before the circadian disruptions from screens. Some people are genetically and epigenetically more vulnerable to all of this. If you and your family are not, be grateful and try to keep it that way.

I don’t think the pediatrician’s advice is “bad”—but honestly they know very little about nutrition, weight, etc., although it’s getting better. I personally would not be pleased if a ped brought this up to my child without consulting me, especially because they are not experts. But it’s not a hill to die on.

One last thing. If your DD carries weight more in her hips, the gain is not risky health-wise and much easier to address or, frankly, leave alone. It’s terribly unfair but when excess weight is in the middle of the body you need to keep an eye on it more. She is so young and you may not know for several years.

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Hi “crazy pp”. Do you have any suggestions of the best snacks that are low calorie but keep a child full for longer? My daughter who is 4 has an enormous appetite. She is always hungry. Can eat a ton. Also, what is the best physical activity for a girl that age?[/quote]

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