What is a healthy way to put a kid on a diet??? Or just to help them drop pounds?

Question

My little sister is almost 8 years old and is very heavy for her age...weight 90+ lbs. I know kids shouldn't diet, and I figured she would grow out of it, but now kids are teasing her and she gets depressed and upset about it...what's a good way to help her lose her belly and amp her self esteem?

her school still has phys. ed, although limited. She is in a dance class, but they just hop around for a little while a couple times a week. Not much exercise. She doesn't have any interest in any particular sport either, i think she doesn't want to get on a team b/c kids tease her

Answer 1

Who says kids shouldn't diet? If you feed your kid a healthy diet with lots of vegetables and whole grains along with some fruit, if they're fairly active, they will lose weight. You'd be surprised at how little protein and fat they need. If you check out some of these links, you'll see what I'm talking about:

Losing weight really is as simple as basic addition and subtraction. If the calories you eat add up to more than what you burn in a given time period, you will gain weight. Conversely, if you eat fewer calories than you burn, you will lose weight. Depending on your size and activity level, the number of calories will vary quite a bit. The secret is finding your “break even” calorie intake level. For most people, the “ball park” figure will be around 1500 to 2000 calories per day. If you are larger than average, this number will be higher, lower if you are smaller than average. Metabolic rate can have an effect on these numbers as well. Exercise plays an important role also, as this can increase the number of calories you burn by quite a bit as well as increasing your metabolic rate.

If you want a generally healthy diet that’s easy to follow and avoids hunger, the one I recommend will do the job very well. You can fill up and still lose weight. Eat lots of fresh vegetables as they contain very few calories yet are full of good nutrition. The less you cook them, the more nutrition they retain. Stick with whole grains, as they tend to be better for you and don’t turn to sugar as readily as processed grains do. For example, whole grain bread is much better for you than plain white bread. Eat a variety of fruit on a daily basis. Avoid empty carbs, fats, and sugars…. Examples: junk food and soda. If you feel you need protein to build muscle, add some chicken or fish to your diet. Avoid beef and dairy products, the cons outweigh the pros.

If you can’t get your mind into the ‘eat to live; don’t live to eat’ mode, you should probably read this short article on the psychology behind overeating:
http://www.geocities.com/seabulls69/weightloss.html

Healthy links:
Calorie calculator:
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/calories.htm
BMI calculator:
http://chetday.com/bodymassindex.htm
Protein, fats, and carbs info:
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/changingshape5.htm
General health info:
http://www.burnthefat.com/
http://www.drmcdougall.com
http://chetday.com/dailyexercise.htm
http://www.phifoundation.org

Answer 2

Hello,

You are a beautiful and caring person to want to see your little sister be happy. That's the secret! Feeling Good!!

First help her make healthy eating choices - make it fun... and be active. Food should not be the focus. Feeling good should be the focus. If she likes junk food for a treat, replace it by an activity for a treat - take her to the zoo instead or go swimming or bike ride - choose inexpensive activities . The best ones don't cost anything - bike ride - walk in the park - visiting family
.
Do remember that processed foods like commercial cereal - canned foods - ravioli - soups - etc... are filled with sugar / sodium / fats. Select you're raw vegetables - fruits - nuts - yogurt - 12 grain bread - oatmeal - chicken - turkey - liver.

Find ways that will help her feel good about herself. What is she really good at? Encourage - empower your little sister!

What we think about is what we become.

Be happy - be grateful - have fun.

Have a great day!

Love / Minnie xx

Answer 3

well first of all, don't make her feel too negative about her fat or she may be headed for an eating disorder.
of course that does not mean that she thinks that her weight is normal. she's not even eight- so if she gets good eating habits and a liking for physical movement, she's likely to retain these throughout her life. it's a good thing she's got an adult giuding her.
take her to swimming lessons- not only will she be losing weight the fun way, she will also be learning a life skill. or how about dance classes? something really lively, like ice-hockey?
kids at her age should not be put into the routine exercises, rather into fun activities- it will also help her socially, now or later in life.
about food. encourage her when she selects healthier options, like a glass of milk instead of a soda. when you want to reward her for something she has done, don't reward her with candy or something- give her an apple, or take her for a trip to the park instead.
make this a fun mission for her as well as for you.

Answer 4

Well right now it is just important to teach her good nutrieion. Be supportive, help her cut back on candies, soda, fastfood, ect. Explain how fruits, veggies, and lean protein will make her feel better. Try to get her involved in sports, or just run around and swim! Does she have a playstation? If she does, you can get her a DDR (dancing game) and mat for her birthday. It is great and fun excercise. Also, get your mom to talk to a pediatrician, the perdiatrician will help your sister lose weight, in a safe and healthy way. Be supportive, but never say the word "fat" and try to avoid mentioning she is overweight.

Here is a good site for kids!
http://www.kidshealth.org/kid/

Answer 5

don't purchase or eat high calorie items for or with or in front of her. Take her someplace often where she has to walk to get from one part to the other (zoo, window shopping, pet stores, whatever). Borrow and exercise or dance tape and start doing it in front of her. Get healthy snacks and slowing decrease the size of her appetite, she will feel full sooner. Undertake a periodic fast. (On Tues. skip lunch, or dinner. Her stomach will shrink and she'll want less.) Some people in the world only eat rice once a day, not healthy by our standards, but they are not overweight either. Have to do something before she gets into a habit of being overweight and upset about it. There is plenty in life to be upset about without adding herself to the list.

Answer 6

No soft drinks is first on the list. Make her walk to and from school. Good exercise. And 3 healthy meals a day cut portion size down and 2 very small snacks. Simple.

Answer 7

Let her have fun outside. The more she plays and runs around the more energy she will burn. Cut out fizzy drinks and heavy meals. Fruit and health snacks should work. Then a good home cooked meal. Good luck.

Answer 8

Feed her healthier foods (less junk foods) and get her enrolled in a sport or dancing.