So your little girl isn't a little girl anymore.
She's getting bigger, heavier, curvier.
Her arms are getting thicker.
Her hips are getting rounder.
Her breasts are getting bigger.
Her tummy is getting chubbier.
She may even look likes she's getting FAT.
You've noticed her appetite has increased.
She's hungrier, craving more, eating more...
And probably eating a few more treats than usual.
Too many parents fall into the trap of believing that this weight gain and increased appetite is the start of OBESITY.
"I'm worried my daughter is eating too much and is now going to get really fat! What do I do?"
Let me assure you.
This weight gain and increase in appetite is...
PERFECTLY NORMAL.
PERFECTLY HEALTHY.
PERFECTLY WONDERFUL.
It's an awesome experience.
Because your daughter is transitioning from being a little girl, into a young woman.
The hormonal changes that occur during puberty stimulate GROWTH and increased BODYFAT. So between the age of 9 and 14, a girl might gain anything up to 15% bodyfat, which will mean she's going to look a lot chubbier.
And in order to grow, lay down that bodyfat and fuel the many physiological changes that occur during puberty... She's going to need to EAT.
And usually...
Like most WOMEN (yes, she's becoming a woman) the same hormones that drive you to the biscuit tin are now working their magic on her.
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So what do you do?
Well, you can make this experience a really amazing and exciting time for her... with plenty of reassurance that it is all perfectly normal, perfectly healthy, and perfectly wonderful.
You could say things like...
"Eating more and gaining weight is exactly what we want to happen at your age! Your body is going through lots of changes because you're slowly becoming a woman. How cool is that?!"
Or things like...
"Look at Beyoncé. What an amazing figure she has. It's curvy and she's got lots of healthy bodyfat. As you grow into a woman you're going to gain lots of healthy fat too, it's normal!"
However you phrase it...
Just keep reminding her...
Weight gain at this time is....
PERFECTLY NORMAL.
PERFECTLY HEALTHY.
PERFECTLY WONDERFUL.
And in doing so your daughter will relax about her weight. She'll relax about her increased appetite. And she'll just go with the flow.
No stress. No anxiety around food.
No guilt for the occasional extra biscuit or three.
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The alternative is to panic.
And instead of making this an amazing and exciting time for her... you could make it really sh**ty and petrifying.
You could say things like...
"I'm really worried about your weight. You're eating too much and getting fatter, so I think you need to go easy on the biscuits. I don't want you to be obese when you grow up."
Or things like...
"Maybe you could come to my slimming club with me. I've noticed you're gaining weight, so a weekly weigh-in and dieting will help you keep it under control, just like mummy does."
The result is inevitable.
Your daughter thinks and believes the weight gain and appetite she's experiencing is...
COMPLETELY ABNORMAL.
COMPLETELY UNHEALTHY.
COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE.
This drives her feeling of guilt and shame about her appetite, weight and growing body shape. So she takes your advice to weigh herself and diet.
And so begins her life as a DIETER.
Battling against her appetite.
Battling against her weight.
Starving herself. Hating herself.
And even punishing herself with food.
Her binge eating, yo-yo dieting cycle has begun.
Her journey to obesity now under way.
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Please.
Please.
Please.
Hear it from someone who has seen this a lot.
BE NICE to your daughter during puberty.
Even if she's VERY OVERWEIGHT.
Don't challenge her about her weight.
Don't make her feel bad about her weight.
Because this vital time in her life will determine her thoughts and feelings about food, her shape and self-esteem for many years to come.
Helping her RELAX about her weight and embrace her changing shape is critical if you want her to grow up to be a healthy weight.
This article was originally written by Liam Sartorius for Rebelfit UK.
For information on our Kids and Teen programs click here.
To talk to someone about your child's needs, contact Kate Hickey on kate@empower360fitness.com.au or 0403964075