My DS13 is getting chunky...help!

[karenbaco]

Since last year my 13 year old son has noticably gotten thicker. I know this is normal for this pre puberty age but the problem also is that he is short for his age. He has always fallen into the 5th % for height. Now the question is.....how do I get him to lose some weight? I do not buy sugary snacks, ie. ice cream, soda, candy, cookies, cakes, etc. I do have some potato chips in the house and sugar cereals, he loves frosted mini wheats (he won't eat anything else and it's a quick breakfast). We use 1% milk. I have spoken to him about cutting back on eating but he will get defensive and accuse me of calling him fat. He will not eat any fruits or vegetables because he says they all make his mouth itchy. He will eat a salad (romaine lett and cucumbers) but wants to douse it with ranch dressing and croutons. He wants to eat cheeseburgers, pizza, chicken nuggets, etc. It's hard because he is always hungry. I have a hard time buying him shorts/pants. I had to search everywhere for 12/14 husky size. His body is awkward. Can anyone advise me on how to help him without causing too much mental damage? He is pretty active, plays very competitive baseball, and just finished basketball season. I am considering buying a trampoline for the yard to keep him moving. My other issue is that his younger brother is a skeleton and can eat whatever he wants. Any advice?

 

[DebbieB]

Since last year my 13 year old son has noticably gotten thicker. I know this is normal for this pre puberty age but the problem also is that he is short for his age. He has always fallen into the 5th % for height. Now the question is.....how do I get him to lose some weight? I do not buy sugary snacks, ie. ice cream, soda, candy, cookies, cakes, etc. I do have some potato chips in the house and sugar cereals, he loves frosted mini wheats (he won't eat anything else and it's a quick breakfast). We use 1% milk. I have spoken to him about cutting back on eating but he will get defensive and accuse me of calling him fat. He will not eat any fruits or vegetables because he says they all make his mouth itchy. He will eat a salad (romaine lett and cucumbers) but wants to douse it with ranch dressing and croutons. He wants to eat cheeseburgers, pizza, chicken nuggets, etc. It's hard because he is always hungry. I have a hard time buying him shorts/pants. I had to search everywhere for 12/14 husky size. His body is awkward. Can anyone advise me on how to help him without causing too much mental damage? He is pretty active, plays very competitive baseball, and just finished basketball season. I am considering buying a trampoline for the yard to keep him moving. My other issue is that his younger brother is a skeleton and can eat whatever he wants. Any advice?

Have you had him checked out medically? The doctor could also give advice.

 

[gwynne]

What does his ped or physician recommend?

 

[pumpkinmomma]

The best thing you can do is start cooking healthier meals as a family.

I would not nag him endlessly about how much he eats. Instead I would start slowly introducing new foods and teach him how to cook healthy meals for himself. If he likes nuggets and pizzas, try to find homemade versions that are healthier than processed options.

I wouldn't pressure him about it, he will just start sneaking food. He's active, he plays sports, and he may very well just be gearing up for a big growth spurt, too.

 

[wallawallakids]

This is a question for his pediatrician.

 

[karenbaco]

He goes on the 29th of this month for his annual check up.

 

[APiratesLifeForMe2]

He goes on the 29th of this month for his annual check up.

Perfect timing. Ask the doctor and hopefully they will have a few options based on their medical assessment of your child.

 

[mom2rtk]

Is there a summer basketball league he could enroll in?

 

[karenbaco]

Is there a summer basketball league he could enroll in?

Good idea....I'll have to check it out.

 

[indimom]

He may be thicker than before, but is he really in an unhealthy weight range?
A size 12/14 husky for a 13yo boy doesn't sound out of bounds for a healthy/normal weight range. My son is 14, short and thin. He wears 12/14 regulars. If he's active, I'd bet he's gearing up for a growth spurt.

See what the doctor thinks when you go, and go from there.

As far as the fruits and veggies go, does he complain when they are cooked or just raw? Just wondering because oral allergies can cause what he is describing and cooking the food can eliminate the problem. Just a thought.

Either way, just provide healthy meal options and keep him active. Unless he's eating huge bowlfuls of the cereal or tons of chips, I would avoid commenting on his meal sizes.

Good luck.

 

[powellrj]

This is what I remember. Both of my boys went through a chunky period in middle school. I know middle DS and a friend use to laugh at what chubs they use to be in middle school.

My boys both got their height after HS. Their dad was the same way. He was 5ft 6 when he got his drivers license and was 6ft 4 when we got married!

Both of my boys really thinned out when they got their height. Now middle DS is also 6ft 4 and wears a 30x36 pant, not an easy find!

I would make sure to serve him healthy meals, make sure you have healthy snacks available and keep him active this summer. Make sure he has lots of outside time! That way you can keep him healthy and not worry about making his weight an issue. Boys can also have eating disorders. Our dr is very concerned about eating disorders in teens, so we have always been careful when talking about weight.

 

[RitaE]

Spark People runs a special internet community for teens.

http://www.sparkteens.com

It is a very delicate subject because it is so easy to take a wrong move and make them feel shamed or guilty about their body weight - leading to potentially lifelong emotional and physical issues.

The focus needs to be health and fitness, not weight.

 

[Tink888]

Agree with others, talk to his pediatrician. To lose weight, decrease his caloric intake and up his exercise. Does he like to run? Suggest cross-country running, it's a great way to burn a lot of calories.

Truthfully, unless he's gained a substantial amount, I wouldn't worry too much at that age. Both of my boys went through serious growth spurts at age 13/14. My older son, who had always been a little chunky since 2nd grade, shot up to 6 feet and really thinned out.

 

[lizabu]

I wouldn't even worry about it. Both my DS and DD went through stages where the looked like they were getting chunky. I knew they were eating healthy so I left them alone. They each had a growth spurt and are bean poles. Kids seem to grow more in the summer to me.

 

[Hannathy]

I seriously wouldn't worry about it.

A lot of boys get chunky before they shoot up and that chunk turns to muscle.

My DD's boyfriend if you saw pictures of him your son's age you would never know he is the same guy as now. He was very, very chunky thru 9th grade. He then grew 6 inches in 1 summer and all the chunk developed into grown up muscle and now he is actually skinny!

My BIL did the same thing, he was always the "plump" one in the family photos as kids and now he is the thinnest of them all.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Other posters are correct - healthy eating and exercise, and he will likely be growing upward soon. Junk food in moderation. Just stress it's the health aspect of what he's eating that you're concerned about when you talk to him about it; you want him to be healthy for the long term.

When my DS was that age there was a thread here about this very thing. I had never really heard that boys get thick right before a growth spurt before that, so the timing was good for me and I didn't worry about it, knowing my DS was active and ate well, etc. Sure enough, people were right. He's 16 and I was noticing just yesterday how tall he's gotten and how slim he looks. But he did have that thick look, too, off and on. He was on the shorter side as well. My DH told me he didn't really shoot up in height until his senior year in high school, so I'm expecting my DS may still have some growing to do, too.

 

[ZachnElli]

I'm going to tell you not to worry about it either. My oldest DS got a little chunky at 12 and then shot up 6 inches! One if my nieces got rather chubby and last summer she shot up 7 inches, she is so thin now, she's too thin! And she was really chubby! She's 12 also. If he hasn't had a big growth spurt, I seriously wouldn't stress about it as long as you know he's eating healthy.

 

[Kitty 34]

I had to smile at this thread as I posted something very similar wayyyyyy back when I was first started DISing. I was worried as my son (at the time being 11) really was getting "thick", especially in the belly area.


Well fast forward several years........that thickness was just getting ready to go upwards as he ended up being 6'6 and not thick!

 

[karenbaco]

Thanks for the encouraging words everyone! However, I really don't have much hope of him "shooting up" because DH is only 5'7 and I am only 5'4. Pedi projected him to be around 5'8 at adult height. I really hope that is the case because I really don't even think he will get to be 5'8 considering how small he is now. Most of his peers have at least a foot on him That is what I am concerned about, that he will continue to grow wider instead of taller.

 

[karenbaco]

One more thing......
DH resents his Mom to this day for letting him be a "fat kid". She would stock the house with cookies, cakes, ice cream, etc and he could splurge all he wanted. He carried that weight with him and now that he is an adult he is a great weight for his height but he can't seem to get rid of the love handles. I'm damned if I do damned if I don't. If I get on him to cut back, it risks his self esteem, if I let it alone he resents me as an adult.