How can I help my daughter get down to a good weight height proportion

[josgroe]

My pedi says that my little girl is over weight by about 25 lbs.  now I want to help her get back to a healthy weight BUT I dont want her to feel bad or get down on her self because that will only make the problem worse.  Any ideas?  She is active bike riding playing at the park jumping on the trampolin ,  I try and watch her calorie in take and have reduced her to about 1200 per day but I am not sure what to do none of it is working....

[Renee Radenberg]

Both her weight and height are just over the 95th percentile for her age. It is recommended to increase children's physical activities (play, dance, sports) to lose weight, and not lower calorie intake due to the need of calories for growth. Limit time in front of the TV/DVD/computer or non-active-video games. There have been studies showing the longer the length of time a child sit in front of the TV, the greater the weight gain. The calorie intake for a growing 9 year old is approximately 2000-1800 calories a day that are eaten as three meals and snacks between meals. Limit high sugar drinks/snacks, and try replacing with milk/yogurt or fruit/popcorn/low-fat cheese. Additional suggestions: cook only low fat meats (chicken, fish, loin of pork) or non-meat sources (soy products, nuts), low fat vegetarian combinations (rice & beans, pasta & beans, low fat cheese & pasta), fat free or low fat dairy products (skim milk, 1% milk, low fat cheese, low fat yogurts, low fat soy milk/yogurt), use plant oils, non trans-fat margarines, and eat a lot of fruits and vegetables. Eat daily high fiber breads and cereals (oatmeal) and limit ‘junk’ foods. Have her help you cook simple healthy foods so she learns how to eat right. Try to take the focus off of food and increase the physical activities. Hoped this helped you.

[Super_sally888]

Hi,

What sort of foods is your child eating?

Her diet should have plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, meats, and whole grains.  

You need to avoid giving her fried foods, processed foods (cakes, cookies, candies) and foods with lots of sugar, soda etc.  She should drink water as much as possible.

Check labels and don't give her foods with high fructose corn syrup in them.  These are not good for her and will also help weight gain.

At her age, ideally she will not lose weight, but rather will grow into her weight (ie. her weight is stable, but she grows in height)..

Increase activitity if possible, and restrict television time.