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Expert Q&A
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| By Eve Eliot Eating Disorder Expert | ||
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My 9-year-old daughter is "chubby" but not overweight. How can I change her eating habits without hurting her feelings?
Is your 9-year-old physically active? If so, one important factor is already taken care of.
If your 9-year-old is physically active already, then you can make sure your whole family is eating appropriately. By this, I mean any snack food in your home that has little nutritional value but mostly empty calories ought to be eliminated. If you and your family model good eating habits now for your young daughter, she will not have to battle chubbiness for her whole life.
Also, is she upset with her own weight? Because unless she herself if motivated to change something about herself, you may find that you will destroy the trust in your relationship with her by intruding on a matter that she needs to reach conclusions about for herself.
First, determine whether your daughter herself is concerned about her weight. If she is not, I encourage you to feed the family wisely, and wait until your daughter feels displeased with herself to take any further steps."
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