how do I get my 3 year old to lose weight?

Question

he weights about 45lbs... I'd like him to take off about 5 lbs. his doctor says he is "ok" and said he will be prone to hold extra weight since he has a large bone structure like both his father and myself... which is fine, I just don't want him to be excessivly large.
he can out eat me , at some meals!!!!

Answer 1

What the hell? Three year olds do not need to lose weight. Period. Ever hear of baby fat? Regardless, just make sure he eats reasonably well and gets plenty of excerise (which he will do on his own at this point, just give him space to run around). When he gets older, encourage him to take up a sport.

You should listen to your doctor. Three year olds are still growing way to fast to start losing weight.

Answer 2

If he isn't above the 100% mark with weight charts, then don't worry. Some kids are bigger and some are larger. Do Not do any diet without discussing it with the child's doctor.

If you want to keep him healthy, then make sure that he is gaining weight the healthy way. Lean meats, fruits and vegetables. Don't allow him to sit down and watch TV and not be inactive. Try not to worry about him. Like I said if he is healthy, then don't make a big deal of it. If you start making weight an issue, then you are setting the stage for either an eating disorder or self confidence issues. I have 2 boys; a 4 year old that is 43 lbs. and wears a 5/6 and a 3 year old that is 33 lbs. and wears a 3/4. The 4 year old is at 75% with his weight and the 3 year old is at 35% with his weight. They have the same father and they are 2 different people. So don't worry.

Answer 3

Follow your doctors advice. You can do little things like cutting out sugary drinks such as koolaid and pop. Also you can limit in between meal snacking. Promote healthy snacking like an apple rather than a cookie. But really if you get extravaggant with your changes your child could become self conscious or begin to obsess about weight. This could lead to eating disorders in the future. So whatever your course of action keep the big picture in mind. you could find more information at

Answer 4

Please do not put a 3 year old on a diet.

Metabolisms are so different from individual to individual. I was a big, big child, and still have problems keeping my weight down. My sister was a tiny little bag of bones as a baby, and still is. Same mom feeding us, same food, completely different results.

We both have very large (tall) daughters, but none of the three seems to have my tendency for weight, nor are transparently thin.

Just make sure your son eats good quality fresh food, lots of variety, and not many empty calories. No snacking!

And be happy, because it seems people have more problems getting their kids to eat. You probably have more flexibility to bring him into new food situations, rather than the insufferable kids who only eat 5 things over and over.

Answer 5

you should never try to put a child at this age on a diet, unless directed by a doctor. In this case the doctor is saying the child is fine. If you want him to lose a bit of weight , try giving the child more fruits and veggies, and lots of outdoor activities so the child can get rid of the calories and safely not gain anymore weight right now.

Answer 6

You should start with having him eat healthier foods. Fruits and vegetables are very good for you and contain a lot of water. These foods are also not fattening. Including fruits and vegetables in the food you make for your child would be a great start.Since your child eats a lot you should have him stay away from fast foods. McDonald's and other fast food restaurants contain many trans fats and hydrogenated oils which can clog your arteries and make you fat. Make sure your child has a small amount of junk food because it can cause many severe problems when he is older. You shouldn't worry about your child eating a lot as long as it is healthy food and not extremely fattening.

Answer 7

Diets are not the answer with a 3 year-old. You need to be consious of what he eats, watch the sweets, the drinks, even the amount of fruit he eats. In other words, make sure he drinks a lot of water, and eats a healthy diet. That's it! You don't really want him to lose weight at this age, I'd listen to your doctor. You want him to stay where he is for awhile, but not lose weight. Good luck!

Answer 8

My daughter was 9 pounds when she was born and she is 2 and a half and about 40 pounds, if i were u i would offer ur child more fruit for snacks and let him play outside more, my kid plays outside all day long and her legs have slimmed down so much, when she was an infant she had the fattest cutest legs ever! But the doctor kept saying she was in the "danger zone" and was in the 90th percentile for her weight group. Let your baby play more, the more active they are, the better their chances of slimming down.

Answer 9

Obesity in children (and adults for that matter) is becoming an epidemic in our country. And the number one factor in that is FAST FOOD. Cut out all the McDonalds, Burger King, Wendys-all of it. Plus have him drink tons of water and eat wheat foods as opposed to white. Like wheat bread and wheat pasta. Bleached flour products are loaded with fat and they have no nutritional value. I think its good that you want him to lose weight. He isnt too young to lose a few pounds. If you don't attack the problem now, it will just end up getting worse later on down the road. And especially if being overweight runs in your family then he is very prone to becoming overweight. And excersise is so very important. Get him running around and jumping up and down as much as possible. Good luck to you:)

Answer 10

If your doc doesn't think there's a weight problem, don't stress about it. Just make sure you're feeding him a healthy diet:
* Lean meats (fish, turkey, chicken and lean beef)
* Lowfat dairy (kids need the calcium)
* Lots of fiber (fruit with the skins, nuts and beans)
* No refined sugers (store-bought cookies, crackers or sugary drinks) Indulge in cookies every once in a while, but bake them from scratch at home using lowfat butter and whole wheat flour.
* Grains (brown and wild rice, whole wheat/grain breads, etc.)