how do you tell your 8 yr old son he needs to loose weight?

Question

he is ok size i think a little big but all he dose is eat and every one tells him even friends and family so now when i tell him to slow down he gets mad and says i know it is because i am fat. how do i help him with out giving him a complex

Answer 1

you don't just set a certain standerd. And feed him the right good foods and make sure he drinks plenty of water and take him to the park every so often!!!!!hope this helps thers really no other way to tell him just remember everyone comes in different size and shapes!

Answer 2

The only way to help your son is by setting a proper example. Unless you are able to change the foods in the house and help him get active he will simply go down the path of least resistance.

1. Why are you allowing him to get "mad" at you anyway? Anger is the enemy of good parental control. You must maintain even tempered control of him now or you will never gain it back when he is a teen and twice your size.

2. Explain everything you do. The one thing that will backfire on you is if you fall into the, "Because I said so!", trap. Make sure you are heading toward a mutual goal (even if it one you primarily set for him). Does he like soccer, baseball or any particular sport? Get into the game with him and become his "personal trainer and nutritionist". Have fun with him and his diet. Go on-line with him to find healthy snacks that he likes.

3. Finally, unless his doctor is worried, don't you be. With proper eating habits some children are just larger than others. Do you think Shaquille started as a thin kid? You never know what his weight will be until after puberty. Set him up on the proper path of good nutrition and exercise and it will work out in the end.

Answer 3

First, tell any relatives if they say your son is fat again, you will be very displeased to say the least and mind their own damn business. As far as telling him, don't tell him, it does no good for the most part. He's a kid and doesn't have a lot of abilities to be different than he is. I was chubby at that age, and became bulimic thanks to people trying to "help". I got a lot taller and was in sports later on, which probably would've solved the problem, but instead made me very, very thin. and slow down? what does it matter if you drive to the next town at 25 or 80? you still get there. The proper way is to control the food you have in the house and make sure he gets kid-sized portions at meals and lots and lots of exercise in-between. If you don't have a ton of snacks in the house, he can't get so many snacks. And, you are the parent, he's not allowed to argue if you tell him he can't have something, not at 8. Simply apologize for not being a better parent before, but things are going to change. Tell him you want to change because it's bad for your health and show him some changes that you are making on you, that'll help. I'm not being tough because I "don't like fat people" (truth is, I like women with a bit more "fluff")... I have now gotten myself back to a healthier weight (thank goodness) and even have a little bit extra, which i'm quite proud of, lol. I'm just being tough because parents say "I just can't make my child.... blah blah" let's see the bugger NOT go outside if you get rid of cable and cut down computer time with parental controls. He'll learn to enjoy touch football and stickball or skateboarding or whatever. Trust me. Exercise, growth, time, and healthy food, Mom.... It's good you're concerned, just remember that chubby at 8 doesn't mean forever... He'll want to change on his own more when girls are involved, anyway. (yes, oh, geez, girls) good luck.

Answer 4

You dont! There is no need to confuse a *child* with weight loss issues. There is no need to get him anxious thinking there is something wrong with him. He is a child, a little boy. What you do is start changing food. I see a lot of kids like this and typically their parent's are fat too! Step 1 is change his diet, lower sugar, less fast-food and junk-food (look at the ingredients, if it is marketed to kids, it's probably not something you should feed him.), and not less but no soda! I watch children drinking cans of soda and can't believe it. That's pure sugar and unless he is super active most of those calories will become fat. You might as well give him the sugar bowl to eat. If he is eating really oversized portions, reduce those as well, though as a growing boy he is going to eat more than you might expect. Step 2 is activity. Most parents of fat kids are inactive themselves, show some parental leadership and take him outside as often as possible. Go for a walk, go to the park, go to the mall and go from store to store, lot of walking there. You are the parent he is your child, as such he is your primary responsibility. Included in that is his body shape, he doesnt buy or prepare his food, you do, so why is he overweight then?

Answer 5

Get him involved in organized sports, or play activities, even swimming. Only buy healthy food. Whole grains, veggies fruit, lean meat, use healthy low fat recipes. See a dietician. Dont use the word fat, but educate him about the effects of poor nutrition, and binging on the body, or may have a meeting with the pediatrician to emphasize that its a issue of welling being and health instead of a social stigma.

Answer 6

Moniter what he eat make sure he gets all the right food groups. Make sure he doesn't always eat junk.... if her doesn't do good with only 3 meals and a snack make him have 4 or 5 smaller meals throughout the day. Dont tell him he needs to lose weight just let him know that he needs to eat healthy to become strong. If you have to make a game out of it like if he eats healthy and exercises pretty good throughout the week say that you will treat him to something good at the end of the week. Dont make it to obvious that you want him to lose weight.
Good Luck!

Answer 7

Set the example by doing exercise yourself and eating healthy. Start giving him healthy snacks to eat and serve him moderate sized portions at meals. Don't let him serve himself up his food. But don't berate him about his weight. If his friends and family are already nagging him, he knows that he is overweight but obviously feels bad about it since he is reacting to what you say. Be positive and encouraging. Maybe go on a walk or a bike ride every evening with him. It will also give you time to bond while getting healthy.

Answer 8

set a good example. don't buy junk foods. keep lots of fruits and veggies on hand for snacking. but do let him have a treat every once in a while, maybe a happy meal once a week (not the mighty kids happy meal!) no pop, even diet, in the house. go for a walk or bike ride every evening. It wont hurt you either to participate in an active, healthy lifestyle, even if you are at a healthy weight yourself. If he accuses you of the changes because of his weight, thell him you all could benefit form a good diet and exercize, and stick with it!

Answer 9

You don't TELL him anything. He's EIGHT. You, the parent, are amkig all of the decisions regarding the kid's eating and exercise habits. If the child is overweight, it is your fault, not his. It is up to you to change his diet and get him outside and exercising more.

Ultimately he can only eat what YOU put on the table and he can only do whatever activities YOU allow him to do. It's up to you to make better choices for him.

There's no need to destroy the boy's self-confidence by telling him to lose weight when it's you that's gotten him to the point where he's at.

Answer 10

Bring this up with a lot of love. An 8 year old needs a lot of it from everyone around. The only other thing I know is to keep him as busy as you can doing things that he enjoys. Keep him away from television and vidio games. Get him interrested in psysical games, like ball games and swimming. He will soon forget about food all the time.