Health advice for my 8 year old overweight son please...

Taliahmai

He walks from his school to his sisters school on his own but then we all walk the rest of the way together, we do walk past a shop and thats when we usually call in to get a treat for after dinner. I think i will have to start leaving my money at home! He only takes 40p to school with him as they do fruit breaks at both playtimes and he buys a piece of fruit at each. His pocket moneyhe comes with me to spend, and if i do let him go to shop on his own with it, he buys them silly card things with it and not sweets lol

I love the skipping rope idea too, i could get myself one and have a comp with him..thank you!

Thank you all of you for all the advice and supposrt, im going to go back through and write it all out so i can read throughit properly tomorrow...and also ring dr's and start a food diary! I definatly feel more positive about it all tho...thank you!!

System

Does your local council have any activities for overweight children? I've seen it advertised where i live so thought there might be a similar scheme where you are?

faithcecilia

PudseyDB wrote: »

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I'd actually advise against this. It'd be better to substitute things rather than doing without. I'm sure most people crave things more when told they know they can't have something! My son (7) loves a packet of crisps with his lunch - but things like Quavers are much less than a packet of Walkers. By swapping, he doesnt feel like he's missing out on anything.

I see your point, and maybe in the short term it would help, but I do think it is important to learn new habits. Just because Quavers (to use your example) are lower in calories, it doesn't change the fact that its just not healthy to have such foods daily.

soupdragon10

Get into the habit of reading food labels. My DH lost 10 st by completely altering his eating habits. He would read labels and not even consider anything with more than 3% fat maximum.

Do your children go with you shopping? could you start including them in chosing items and make it a game - who can find the lowest fat yoghurt? which has less sugar? Not only are they chosing their own items, but also learning about food and chosing what is healthy.

How about a some cut up chicken breast with salad in a wrap? I make these myself and they have very little fat in, but are nice and filling. You can also alter the flavour with herbs and spices to keep interest.

Could you rethink the computer game? I have a Wii and we use this for a range of exercises/games etc, and believe me a tennis game can get you really out of breath after 10 minutes plus because it's a game you want to carry on.

Taliahmai

They did come shopping with me today but i tend to go while they are at school.. He isnt too keen on salad, he will eat cucumber but isnt keen on anything else..unless it has meat or cheese with it lol. He does love helping me cook though so i think i will let him help out more. Ive just started using a meal plan and he does help me plan the meals we have.

The computer game i will definatly rethink and have a look at!

Taliahmai

xXMessedUpXx wrote: »

Does your local council have any activities for overweight children? I've seen it advertised where i live so thought there might be a similar scheme where you are?

Ive not heard of any, but i have just looked up the MEND program that someone else mentioned and they do have one in town and i didnt realise, so i will look into that more in the morning

GlasweJen

My niece is over weight (she's 7) and she goes to classes every week after school for over weight kids the same age as her. It's an athletics type club and just gets them more interested in sports.

This was suggested by the school and is held at the local high school, have you considered approaching the school for support with the weightloss rather than support with the bullying?

squoog

just remembered that i had posted this last yr as an example for someone, thought it might give you an idea. I have 5 yr old twins and an 11 year old they all eat from a childs melamine plate for a main meal, though the 11 yr old does eat bigger portions than 5 yr olds.
My 5 yr olds have
Breakfast - bowl of cereal/porridge with milk probably 1 variety box amount. sometimes 2nds or a slice of toast as well. (no added sugar, 1 teaspoon jam in porridge made with milk)
mid morning fruit
Lunch - 1 boiled egg and 1 slice toast or sandwich usually 1.5 slices. + veggie stix
afternoon snack - varies but last week they ate an apple, a banana and a clementine each every day!
Dinner - childs melamine plateful 2 fish fingers, potato and broccoli (11 yr old - 3-4 fingers)
Pudding - yoghurt/fruit/icecream etc
they drink water or diluted juice, may also have a smoothie some days and occasionally a couple of biscuits in the afternoon.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Taliahmai wrote: »

Food and exercise diary is a great idea!...i should of started this yesterday before i did my shopping today and bought sausage rolls, picnic eggs and pork pies...and lots of yogurts, believing they were healthier too!

The 5 a day we do sometimes struggle with i wont lie about that. He has the kind of attitude that if he hasnt tried something before, he doesnt like it! Very much so with food, ive never given them carrots and things with dips....as they say they dont like it...same as a lot of good food to be honest. I think i might have to try and be a mean mum for a while and put the food out and give them no other options....i guess if there hungry they will eat it.

My biggest set back is im far too soft, i find it really hard to be strict with them, and if he tells me he is hungry i let him eat....even if we only had dinner half hour before. I just find it really hard when he is crying at me telling me he is starving. My 4 year old is is so different compaired to him, she hardly eats anything, never eatds a full meal (i do seriously need to cut down on portion sizes) and has no fat on her at all.

I'm sorry, but you are feeding him crap, this ^^^^ stuff, crisps, chocolates, readybrek (full of sugar), then what is potentially good - onions and leeks, you fry. You stick the food on huge plates. And then, when he has eaten three sausages, mashed potato (with butter and milk, I presume?), fried onions and leeks, (and a bit of carrot and broccoli - hopefully not dotted with butter - no gravy?) finished off with a yoghurt (Muller corner, by any chance? The ones with chocolate or syrup covered fruit?) and then reward him for piling in more than my 11 year old eats with chocolate and then feed him again half an hour later because you feel sorry for him?

Does he drink any fluids at all? Are they full sugar fizz or full sugar fruit juice/squashes/chocolate milkshake?


The sort of volume of food you would be looking at for a small child such as this is nearer what would comfortably fit on a tea plate - you know, the ones that have just enough space for a sandwich.


Does the ham sandwich have a thick layer of butter on it? A scrape of mayonnaise or cream cheese would have less fat. Any lettuce, tomato, cucumber, spring onion or pickle added to get his veg count up?

Has he tried plain strips of chicken breast stir fried and served in wholemeal wraps with various veggies - courgettes, tomatoes, onions, leeks - and a small dab of cheese/mayo/cream cheese?

Has he tried steamed salmon on a bed of steamed new potatoes, some green beans and frozen sweetcorn?

Has he had a broth based soup with shredded chicken in it to help fill him up at dinner?

Does he get offered water or other low calorie drinks first when he moans he's hungry, because he could actually just be thirsty?



I can't dress it up nicely and say what he is being given is fine. There's too much of it, it's full of fat, salt, sugar or all three of the above.

You need proper food education. He is unhappy and the food you are giving him - and the messages about food you are teaching him - are contributing to his unhappiness.


So get back to the GP and tell him that you need an urgent referral to a dietician, because you genuinely don't seem to have a clue about how to change things.

faithcecilia

A few people have commented that ready brek is a bad choice as it is full of sugar, but actually it isn't, there is no added sugar in it at all, only what is in the milk it is made of or if some is put on top. If you don't add sugar then it is actually a healthy choice, although I think porridge would be better as it is unprocessed (if you use plain oats).

http://www.weetabix.co.uk/products/cereals/ready-brek-original#titleIngredients