“How can I motivate my daughter to lose weight?”
My daughter is 13 years old and has gained too much weight. She is now low on confidence and I am finding it hard to help her. Please suggest ways in which I could treat her obesity problem.
4 Answers
13 years of age is a common time for girls to put on extra weight. It is important to realize that teens will not lose weight until THEY REALLY WANT TO. I haven't found anything to help lose weight in teens until they are serious about losing weight. So until she is ready to lose weight, you can help her understand what it takes to lose weight as follows:
1) See a physician for her 13 year well check so her doctor can rule out any medical problems that may be making it difficult for her to lose weight, such as hypothyroidism. At the well check, her doctor can also graph her weight, height and BMI to see about where her weight should be for a girl her age so that she knows what her goal would be.
2) When she is ready, make an appointment with a dietitian to discuss healthy eating habits and outline a concrete plan to help her be knowledgeable about what a healthy diet really
consists of.
3) Excess weight in teens is commonly associated with depression or anxiety though it may not be obvious. Talk with your child and see if a visit with an adolescent psychologist might be helpful. The mind/body connection is powerful and talking to a nonjudgemental professional alone in a safe space usually helps set the stage for weight loss.
4) Make sure she gets enough sleep. Lack of sleep is associated with being overweight.
5) You and her father must set a great example. Over time, kids will end up eating like their parents. When shopping, do not bring temptations into the house such as sodas, ice cream, cookies and pastries, chips and fried foods in general. Try to have family dinners together in the evening as much as possible and prepare dishes that are healthy and not high in fats or sugar.
6) Encourage her to exercise in some sort of activity at least one hour a day for 5 days a week.
7) Do not focus and complain about her weight. She needs love and acceptance for who she is. Complaining about her weight only decreases self esteem. Think of ways to increase her self esteem.
8) Getting down to ideal weight takes time, 1-2 years. Do not put her on any kind of diet, just encourage a healthy lifestyle by example.
9) Be patient. When she is ready, she will lose the excess weight.
Good luck!
1) See a physician for her 13 year well check so her doctor can rule out any medical problems that may be making it difficult for her to lose weight, such as hypothyroidism. At the well check, her doctor can also graph her weight, height and BMI to see about where her weight should be for a girl her age so that she knows what her goal would be.
2) When she is ready, make an appointment with a dietitian to discuss healthy eating habits and outline a concrete plan to help her be knowledgeable about what a healthy diet really
consists of.
3) Excess weight in teens is commonly associated with depression or anxiety though it may not be obvious. Talk with your child and see if a visit with an adolescent psychologist might be helpful. The mind/body connection is powerful and talking to a nonjudgemental professional alone in a safe space usually helps set the stage for weight loss.
4) Make sure she gets enough sleep. Lack of sleep is associated with being overweight.
5) You and her father must set a great example. Over time, kids will end up eating like their parents. When shopping, do not bring temptations into the house such as sodas, ice cream, cookies and pastries, chips and fried foods in general. Try to have family dinners together in the evening as much as possible and prepare dishes that are healthy and not high in fats or sugar.
6) Encourage her to exercise in some sort of activity at least one hour a day for 5 days a week.
7) Do not focus and complain about her weight. She needs love and acceptance for who she is. Complaining about her weight only decreases self esteem. Think of ways to increase her self esteem.
8) Getting down to ideal weight takes time, 1-2 years. Do not put her on any kind of diet, just encourage a healthy lifestyle by example.
9) Be patient. When she is ready, she will lose the excess weight.
Good luck!
A 13-year-old girl who is entering adolescence is a problem all by itself. Interaction between mother and daughter often goes askew. Before anything is done, the child should be taken to a doctor to make sure there’s no medical calls for her obesity. If there isn’t, then there has to be some outside source that will help her lose weight and mother by herself will not be able to accomplish this. There are several options open. Weight Watchers has a very good option for adolescence they can go in person or do it online. There are also other modalities and it is certainly beneficial to have a third person involved.
The best way to motivate a teenage girl to lose weight is to find activities that she may enjoy that allow her to have fun while being active. Teenagers are generally motivated to do things that interest them, kids in general. Therefore, providing her with various options, such as dancing, swimming, or bike riding, rather than just the typical treadmill routine. Also, providing a pediatric friendly and safe app that she can use to log her meals and physical activity may be helpful. Teenagers are very attached to electronic devices. Therefore, allowing her to use her smart phone to help in her weight loss journey can also be helpful.
Sincerely,
Marcia Augustine, MD, FAAP, CLC
Sincerely,
Marcia Augustine, MD, FAAP, CLC
Is she depressed? Sometimes treating the depression helps the overeating. She needs to increase her exercise and decrease high-calorie snacks and second helpings. Getting her to volunteer can sometimes get her mind off herself and feel better about helping others. Usually, constantly harping on her weight makes them eat more. Make healthy meals and snacks, and limit take out.
