My parents are putting pressure on me about the way I eat?

Question

I am 14 years old, 5'4'' and 100 pounds. I'm about 60% for height and 35% for weight. My BMI is 17.1, which is in the healthy range. I have not gotten my period and am expected to keep growing for another two years (approximately.) I do gymnastics for 9 hours a week and do ballet for 1 1/2 hours a week. I walk home from my bus stop, which adds up to a little over a mile per week. I am in good shape. My problem is that my parents say that I eat too much. Yes, I do eat a lot, but I do not snack excessively, I do eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, and also - I'm still growing, so I'm hungry!

Another issue is that my mom feels like she needs to make comments about my weight to people in public. In just this weekend alone, she has told perfect strangers at a party how much I weigh, she has told people we invited over for dinner everything I ate today and why I should eat healthier... and then continued to discuss it!

What should I do?

I understand that I can't continue the way I do forever, but I am very thin and have a good body. I exercise a lot and do care about how I look - my parents even get mad when I spend too much time on my hair or things like that because they say I shouldn't care about how I look... and then they turn around and say that I'm going to get fat!

What should I do? After dinner, I went and ran for a half hour and didn't take seconds on dessert. And they STILL made comments!

Another thing that really bothers me is that my mom goes around telling people that I fit into a skirt that she wore after she delivered me! First of all, I'm usually a size 0 or 1 in juniors, and second of all, she was incredibly sick when she was pregnant with me and lost a ton of weight.

Answer 1

You should talk to you mom. What you describe is she treats you like a 2 year old child. She doesn't mean offence or disrespect, but this is how it comes across. If you were to discuss her weight in public with your friends in front of her you'd be killed, right? That would have been total disrespect. But when 2 ladies are discussing the weight of their newlyborns - that's quite allright. You are somewhere in between that age range (newlyborn to completely adult) so your mom needs to realize that this is the time of transition, you can't be treated like a 1 year old. Tell your mom to please not discuss your weigth, height, and other personal health-related issues in public. Also tell her that you would like to watch your diet yourself because you're already 14.

Answer 2

Wow. I was expecting your problem to be that your parents worry you don't eat enough because you're already obsessing about your weight at 14. But it actually sounds like you're the one with the good head on your shoulders. With a mom like you have, it's a wonder you're not anoerexis or bulemic. I'm sorry your parents are so stupid, but you sound like a great kid with a terrific head on your shoulders and I really hope your parents don't screw that up for you. Talk to a teacher or some other adult you trust that will lend some moral support that your parents apparently aren't giving you. It sounds like your mother is living vicariously through you and is obsessing over your weight for you. Again, I'm sorry she's being so stupid and I hope she'll realize this and not screw up a perfectly good kid. Eat healthy. Stay healthy. Best of luck to your sweetheart.

Answer 3

Tell your parents to chill. Not to casually though, actually sit down talk to them and say that it's bothering you. Your weight seems fine to me. Perfect. The problem is when you do start to menstrate, you will get hungrier and lazier, so just watch out for that.

Ugh, and I hate it when my mom does that too. She always tells people how much I weigh and stuff like that. Once, she talking to her friend about that and it turned out the lady's son was the guy I had a crush on at the time! I was so embarrased!

Answer 4

I don't understand your feet, inches and ponds. We use exclusively metres and kilogramms. I think if you're just 14 years it's normall. It's better to be a thin than a thik. If you want to becom thik you need to live at South.
When I liven in Nothern cities there is long cold winter I became thin, and when I returned home my mother wept after seeing me. Now I'm not thin.
Plese tell me your blood group and I'll try to find an answer for you. Sorry for my bad english, talking with you maybe I'll study it better. Write if you want. I'm very ready to help.

Answer 5

I don't know what you're parents problem is, but they aren't being very supportive at all! Gymnasts need lots of calories; even the female ones. I would recommend eating whenever you are hungry as long as it is healthy and not candy. You are still growing and you are not careful you could stunt your growth. I am not sure exactly what happens to females but I know it could stunt the complete development of puberty.

Answer 6

Well gymnastics is obviously gonna give you muscle so that would add to weight. Look if your comfortable, have a good level of fitness thats fine. 6 moderate meals a day is great, snacking is fine if its good foods. Maybe try talking to your parents, if they still dont get it. Research some things yourself and educate them :)

Answer 7

My mom does that too sometimes. But you sound perfectly fine! If your parents can't accept you for you, they have got issues. Why don't you sit down and talk to your parents? Tell them exactly what you wrote above.

Answer 8

This is saddening. Your parents obviously need to learn a thing or two about nutrition. It must be terrible to have parents who are bad for your health.