My Daughter is overweight - Looking for suggestions

I was never "thin" as a child and blossomed when I hit high school.  I am now overweight and trying to change that. 

My concern is for my 13 year old daughter.  She is active in sports, but she hit puberty early (11) and keeps getting bigger.  I don't know how to help her. We keep healthy snacks in the house, we promote good eating.  I make sure we all sit down to a meal every night.  We do very little take out.  I let her buy her lunch at school but am considering packing her lunch instead.  I can't control what she eats when she is with her friends or when I am not around. I would like her to learn to do that on her own.  On the other hand I don't want her to get caught up in the "thin is in" trap and be unhealthy in that direction. 

My daughter is an honor student who understands the social and health implications of being overweight.  I would like to introduce her to this sight, does anyone think that is not a good idea?  I was hoping that if we did this together it would help her.   I don't want her to have to deal with the issues of being overweight as an adult.

Thanks.

Original Post by spirochete:

Maybe this doesn't apply because I was a twig of a kid, but my son was overweight as a kid. He would wear men's L or XL shirts to cover his big belly. It broke my heart. I tried everything: only healthy snacks in the house, I made good meals, we excersized. Everything. I took him to the doctor and he said "well he's just a big kid". Oh thanks.

Then one day, around 13 or 14 he shot up about 6 inches, dropped 20lbs over night and BAM, I have a whip thin 6'2" kid. It was like he had to grow into his body like a puppy grows into its paws.

I guess my point is it sounds like you're doing everything right, so maybe just try to wait it out?

I'd be leary of showing her this site. The teenager section and health section is a den of anorexic behavior. Sorry folks, but it is.

I think spiro is on to something here. 

I was never "fat" but always looked pudgy and got teased a lot.  When I hit puberty the joke was that I was as wide as I was tall.  (even from my family!)  But being short my new curves were slow to make themselves be known.  It took time but by high school my body had settled down and everything shifted around .  I weighed MORE than I did before, and had grown not one inch.  But my shape changed.

I am not sure there is anything you can do that you don't do already.  Promoting healthy eating, encouraging exercise and following through yourself to set a good example is really the extent of your power in this situation.

By the way, my son is also over weight.  Like you we encourage activity and healthy eating.  We dont keep junk food or pop in the house and yet he is still fat.  However, he is now just 11. He grew 2 inches this past 2 months and is already looking thinner and the last pairs of pants we bought him are suddenly a little too big.

I don't know... I mean its great that parents want to help out and everything, but I think I would get hurt if my parents called me overweight even if I was (I WAS overweight but my parents never really commented on it) because usually the person knows better than everybody else around them that they have a weight issue. I just remember hearing from alot of kids that their parents would constantly comment on their weight and it didn't leave a good memory.... I guess though if you are promoting healthy eating together, that can't be bad! Don't focus on the weight, but tell her we are trying to be healthier. Don't mention the weight!! She might just eat more to spite you.... lol