From Heidi, Child's Age 13 - 02/07/12 - IP#: 50.64.39.xxx  Click here to reply  
Hi...I'm new to this board,my son is quite over weight for his age,13,he suffers from anxiety and depression and is on meds for it.He's 5ft 2inch,and weighs as much as me 140lbs.He is very inactive and does no sports anymore,used to play soccer for 8 yrs,but doesn't do it anymore,can't force a 13 yr old to do something he doesn't want to do anymore.His eating habits suck,all he wants to eat is JUNK.Well started him on a diet yesterday,he came to us and said he wants to lose weight,by the way he has man-boobs,which he is very self consience about as well.I have been worried about his weight issue for a long time,all his friends are very social and seem to be interested in sports and girls etc,like a typical 13 yr old should be,but with my son,I know its the weight issue that is holding him back from being like his friends are.I hope that he will feel better about himself when he loses 15 lbs,he seems determined to stick to it.I have cut all processed foods out,pop,pizza...just sticking to healthy lunches,veggies lean meats,fruits.I know it will be hard for him the first 2 weeks,but have told him he will feel better,and have more energy...and who knows maybe he won't need his meds anymore once his self esteem is back and he feels better about himself.Just wanted to share this with other parents going thru the same situation.Thankyou Heidi(concerened mom)
Reply from Ashlie - 03/16/12  - IP#: 63.229.7.xxx
It's great that your son has asked for your help in losing weight. Many overweight kids are not able to tell their parents how they feel. Your son might find checking out some of the areas on this site helpful. Lots of teens use the bulletin boards and the chat room where they get lots of support from other kids going through the same thing. Peer support seems to help. The boards and chat room are monitored so they can be a safe place for them. Hope this helps and good luck with the weight loss. Let us know how it goes.