From Marcus, Child's Age 16 - 09/27/15 - IP#: 74.90.243.xxx  Click here to reply  
My 16 year old son is roughly 5'11 and about 250 pounds. Due to a death in the family (earlier this month), he has been depressed, which is totally explainable. However, he appears to have put on at least 5-10 pounds, which leads me to believe that he is binging on food when his siblings and I are not home. Based on the fast food wrappers in my garbage can, I assume that he is stopping at some fast food establishment on the way home, and also due to the fact that I pick up the others from sports, work etc after school, I have reason to believe that it is him (have 3 other sons).
He has gained weight rapidly in the recent past, but it leveled off during the summer. Does anyone have any advice on how I should bring this up to him and eventually get him to stop? I understand where it comes from, but I have expressed to him many options of coping with loss, but weirdly he seems to be coping with it really well.
Any advice on how to convince him to lose weight? When I brought this up in the past (before summer), he was very nonchalant about his weight in general.
-Thanks.
Reply from Me - 11/23/15  - IP#: 107.178.45.xxx
I think he is eating it as comfort food. You should get him involved in another activity, other than eating, to provide comfort for him and help take his mind off the death.