Calories for child

My son is 7 and is a little on the chubby side. I would not say he is obese but I don't want him to follow in my footsteps as I was an overweight child which led in to adulthood. I struggle with weight to this day.
I looked it up and he should be eating about 2000 calories a day. He is active and it's not like I let him eat sugar all day. We do limit his intake but I'm afraid he has my metabolism.

My question is should I involve him in the calorie counting or do it myself? I think he should be aware of calories in but is he still too young. Is it going to give him a complex or make him self conscious if I bring attention to it?

Re: Calories for child

Can you privately talk to his pediatrician without him knowing? I would not want a seven year old to have a complex. We encourage fruits, veggies, and well balanced meals in our home.

Re: Calories for child

I wouldn't say anything about it. My DS fluctuates and sometimes I feel he is heavier than he should be. He is now 13 and he started being more conscious about what he eats, specially since he plays baseball and wants to be a better athlete. I make an effort to limit what I have at home (cookies, brownies), and have healthier food. He was a picky eater, but now that he wants to eat better, we follow an app with healthy and clean recipes and he is fine with it.

My point is that one day your DS will feel that he could limit his calorie intake. I wouldn't bring attention to it at a young age.

Message edited 6/19/2019 5:51:48 PM.

Re: Calories for child

He's too young. Don't start making him self conscious about his weight and how many calories he eats.
You can watch and make sure to provide healthy options at home, but keep him out of it for now.
Complexes start early

Re: Calories for child

I wouldn't teach him to count calories, he's too young. At 7, you control most of what he eats, so you can gradually make changes. Don't keep junk in the house, only drink water, but the whole family needs to do it, it shouldn't be seen as a punishment for just him.

Calories for child

No, I wouldn’t point it out to him. Buy/make healthier food for the house. Don’t have unhealthy options available to him.

Re: Calories for child

2000 is probably on the higher range for a child that age. I would try to limit it on the lower side of the range which is 1600 if he is already overweight. I would not teach him about it or tell him that I am doing it but I would pack his lunch and snacks as only healthy options that are on the lower cal side. And as PPs have suggested I would not have any junk food in the house until he is at a healthier weight. If he only has healthy options he is more likely to develop healthier habits obviously. I would limit treats to special occasions. At this point a lot of kids still have baby fat so I wouldn't be too concerned but if there is a family history of being overweight I would definitely try to teach healthier habits.

Calories for child

I would not limit his eating unless you see something disordered about it, and if so, then look into why he's eating in this manner. Kids go through stages with weight, especially boys. I remember them all plumping and then stretching, especially when puberty hit. It was like they all packed on extra weight in 8th and 9th grade, and then all of a sudden in 10th grade they shot up and thinned out. I'd worry that any kind of limiting/dieting for a growing child could effect his growth.

Also, he didn't get your metabolism. If you stuggle with weight, don't project those issues on him. He's a growing boy. If he struggles with weight in the future, then it will be his struggle. All you can do is try to set him up for success by offering healthy meal and encouraging him to be active, but don't count his calories, don't teach him to count calories. Let him be a kid.

I say this as someone who was overweight my entire childhood, and just recently lost weight to be in the normal BMI range with calorie counting. As much as I wish I wasn't an overweight child, I definitely don't wish that my parents counted my calories, put me on a diet, or made me more aware of my weight problems. Calorie counting is a useful tool, but it can also lead to disordered eating easily and introducing that to a kid could be disastrous.

Calories for child

I would work to switch the entire family to a healthy, nutritious lifestyle.

Elimate all drinks other than water, coffee, or tea.
Focus on meals and snacks using whole ingredients-fruits, veggies, meats. Try to avoid foods with lots and lots of ingredients-especially snack food like cookies, candy, chips, etc.

Look to limit added sugars-even the ones that are “healthier” like honey.

But don’t put a 7 year old on a diet-I would also first talk to his pediatrician, and perhaps a nutritionist, in private.

Re: Calories for child

Re: Calories for child

You may want to read the book OMG you think I'm fat by Madieline Berg. She's a nutritionist who is well-versed in helping parents with how their kids eat.

Calories for child

Do not put him on a diet unless his doctor is concerned about his weight.

I would encourage you to make sure he is being active throughout the day. Make sure he is up doing things and not sitting and watching TV/playing video games, etc. Go on family walks, bike rides, trips to the playground, etc.

I would also limit his consumption of soda and juice if he drinks those things on a regular basis.

I teach HS and I will say a lot of my 9th and 10th graders carry a little extra weight. I then see them as 11th and 12th graders and most thin out A LOT - to the point that I can barely recognize them!

Re: Calories for child

No way should he be thinking about calories. You should be encouraging physical movement and healthy snacks. Add in another sport - swim, karate, etc. and make sure he's having more fruit than chips. Let him be a kid. If you have him counting calories now, it can lead to eating disorders.

Has his pediatrician expressed concern over his weight?

Re: Calories for child

Re: Calories for child

Totally think it makes sense to speak with ped and come up with a plan.

I’ve got 3 kids and their bodies are all very, very different. They eat the same exact stuff (we eat super healthy thanks to this being a real priority to hubby). None are overweight, but my 7 year old is more curvy than my 9 year old who looks like he’s starving to death.

I think if your kid is overweight... a lot of the suggestions here make sense... but you def need an outside opinion before you start that path.