If that is really where a majority of the fat is, it will come off as he loses weight. But as others have said you can't spot reduce fat. I definitely diet him, just get him more active. Short bursts of activity to get his heart pumping.

Every kid should be running if they do not have a physical disability that prevents them from doing it.
They don't have to run alot or fast. One mile a day. If they absolutely can't even do 1 mile, just walk a mile a day. Or do a combination of walking and running. Move.
They should move every day outside. It's not about being athletic. That's just something everyone should do. For kids that go directly home after school, just walk or run outside for a short while before sitting down to do homework (or worse, play video games). If not, just do it for 15 minutes. That's not alot at all.

My kid carried a bunch of weight in the form of fat around his abdomen in 7th grade. He grew 12 inches in 8th and 9th grade and kept growing through high school. He’s now 6’4” and very skinny.

Is he really only 56 inches tall?

I should clarify the above - I am NOT suggesting “dieting” but rather suggesting encouraging a healthy diet.

My family carries weight in their thighs/butt, so I can relate to your DS. BUT at age 12 you should tell him that at his age kids often grow out before they grow up. I have seen this in my own DS - weight gain and increase in body fat before major growth spurt. It’s one of my pet peeves about the focus at the doctor’s office on BMI.

Encourage him to do what is good for all kids - eat protein and veggies (fiber) and some carbs, but keep the carbs in proportion to the amount of exercise. Exercise daily - walking home from school, bike -riding, playing a club or team sport or going to the gym or rock climbing.. Do some muscle-building activities - carrying things (yard work?), regular calisthenics, etc.

FWIW, boys can really pack on muscle and cut fat naturally as they go through their growth spurts if they are doing some kind of regular exercise that is fun for them. I know many kids who were a bit pudgy but then really filled out with muscle and height - the unifying key was that they regularly exercised in some way.

He sounds estrogen dominant given his fat distribution. This is a hormonal issue OP. Get that part addressed, and the weight will fix itself.

My nephew had hormonal issues at that age and or affected fat distribution (and height).

Anonymous wrote:Is it really impossible to spot-train for fat loss on a particular area of the body? More specifically can this work for kids?

My step-son is 12. He's not chubby (nor is he athletic) but he carries a huge amount of fat on his butt and thighs. He's told me he wants rid of it but I don't think there's much point in trying to lose weight because he's technically in the healthy range. For reference, he's 56 inches tall and weighs 105lbs.

Is this a joke? Your step-son is 12 years old and a normal weight. He's not done growing, and may only now be beginning puberty. You need to be working on having a healthy body image, not "spot train for fat loss."

Omg - no and no

Please look into resources on how to properly deal with body image discussions with kids!

Correct you can not spot reduce. You lose fat in a calorie deficit but you can’t dictate where that fat comes from.

The only way to target fat is to eat less calories than you expend. He could run or lift weights to develop muscle, but he needs to run a calorie deficit to lose fat.

Is it really impossible to spot-train for fat loss on a particular area of the body? More specifically can this work for kids?

My step-son is 12. He's not chubby (nor is he athletic) but he carries a huge amount of fat on his butt and thighs. He's told me he wants rid of it but I don't think there's much point in trying to lose weight because he's technically in the healthy range. For reference, he's 56 inches tall and weighs 105lbs.