Why is my 10 yo overweight?

Question

She only watches 30 min. of tv a day. All other times she is doing homework, doing chores, or playing outside. We homeschool and I monitor everything that goes in her mouth. She is not allowed to eat candy, and sweets and desserts are once a month if she has been good. We eat more vegetables than meat, and she is involved in dance, karate, and soccer. I don't get why she is 4'5" and almost 98 pounds. HELP!!!!!

nope, no french fries. we don't eat much starch either, and i don't think snacking is the problem. i have my eyes on her 24/7, where would she get the snacks?

i am about 5 pounds overweight. not much for my height.

Answer 1

Could be just plain, old genetics.

Answer 2

It highly possible she isn't eating enough for her activity level which means the body will store fat. The body is designed to protect itself and if it senses starvation either b/c of lack of food or too much activity and too little food it will store fat so it can survive. I know this goes against all the junk dieting teaches us but check out a nutrition or biology textbook and you will see that the body must have a certain level of calories to function. Also snacking is not bad! Her stomach empties every 3-4 hours and she needs to refuel that often. So give her healthy snacks of protein and fruit. It is also possible that she has a good muscle mass. Composition is more important in weight than pounds.

Answer 3

Are you overweight? It could be genetic.

I hope you have some other rewards for your daughter, because being that tight on the sugar, what else is there to reward her with?

Has she been checked by the dr.? Could be thyroid.

I would not limit healthy calories on this child because she's going to be growing a lot in the next couple of years, and her body is going to need the calories. When she shoots up, that tummy that she has is going to stretch, and you'll have a tall, slender young woman. Just wait 2-3 years.

A tall, slender young woman who knows how to eat properly!

TX Mom

Answer 4

This is a far stretch, but she may have a medical problem. If she is eating and exercising like that she shouldn't still be overweight. Does her neck curve out more than normal kids? or is she cold a lot of the time? She may have a thyroid disorder which can be cured by taking medication. I hope this helped.

Answer 5

I would take her to the Dr. My mother has thyroid problems and that causes weight gain. My sister is 14 and weighs 300 lbs. She has been checked for everything and she is fine. Its her fault she is that way and only she can change that. My mother has made many attempts at her loosing weight. She has even taken her 100 miles to a dr in which my sister ignored and is still the way she is. Good luck

Answer 6

Are these vegetables french fries, a lot of home schoolers tend to eat deep fried food. Also all that monitoring, and possibly home schooling could be limiting her independence and learning to make smart choices on her own. She might snack to rebel.

Answer 7

it could be genitics , thyroid , or something else , she is 10. between the age of 10 -13 years olds i weight 153 lbs then i lost the weight i grew 5 inches in a year and weight 115 , it could be she is just maturing ,

Answer 8

Hmm....it could be something more serious that just being a chunky kid if she's eating right and exercising. Maybe take her to the doctor to get some tests done.

Answer 9

It sounds like you need to take her to her pediatrician for this. It may be something serious as it sounds that she's on a healthy eating routine and is fairly active.

Answer 10

She could have a genetic or metabolic disorder, or a thyroid problem. Get her in to see your GP.