Expert: Joanne - 8/24/2008

Question
I have a nine yr old daughter who seems to be becoming a little too interested in how many calories are in foods. she has told me she is fat ( not true ) she has some "baby fat" still on stomach meaning it isn't completely flat - but she certainly doesn't look different from most of the girls in her class. I have been trying to teach her properly about foods and that when she wants a snack it's a good idea to think about what kind of food she wants to put into her body ex: potatoe chips vs. fruit or even popcorn. a little bit of junk food is ok but it needs to be balanced. I'm worried that she could develope an eating disorder and I am not sure of the signs. I guess my question is should I be worried or is this somewhat normal?

Answer
Colleen

I think nowadays, it is almost the norm for young girls to go through a phase of owrrying about their weight.  For some, this can start as young as your daughter or even younger, and for others, this doesn't hit until they reach high school and social pressure pushes them to look at how they appear to others.

I wouldn't worry about it too much, providing your daughter is still eating enough calories on a daily basis, but keep an eye out for things possibly taking a turn for the worse!

Do you have a healthy relationship with food and your body yourself?  Kids pick up on everything!  If they have ever heard you talk negatively about your body or weight, or talk about food as being 'good' and 'bad', or yourself as good or bad depending upon what you have eaten, this can be picked up by your kids.  They begin to feel guilty about eating 'bad' foods and those high in fat and calories.  It is important to do as you are doing and let her know that it is ok to eat chocolate, chips, etc, providing that her whole diet doesn't consist of this.  I would try not to emphasise controlling her weight with food too much, and maybe focus on trying to make sure that your meals are very nutritionally balanced, allowing her to see that her weight shouldn't be affected by what she eats if she eats well.  If she is still worried, maybe try doing some exercise with her, but in a positive way!  Go swimming together for fun, rather than emphasising that it should help with weight as again, this can reinforce an unhealthy message which can lead to eating disorders and over-exercise.

I think that it is all about just trying to have a healthy relationship with food yourself, in the hope that she picks up on this.  If she does begin to cut out a lot of foods or calories, maybe make an appointment with a nutritionist, or even Dr to try and get someone to reinforce the importance of nutrition to her!

Joanne