When Your Child Says Their Tummy Is Too Big

Where to start

• Ask what made your child think that, and listen to the answer.
• Talk about what their body can do.
• Keep dieting and remarks about body size out of family conversation.
• If a doctor or school nurse has talked to you about your child’s growth, follow their advice.
• Ring your GP and ask for the earliest appointment if your child starts refusing food or eating much less, hides food, seems frightened of putting on weight, gets upset after eating, or is losing weight or not growing as expected.

The rest of the tip, and why it works, is in the library.

Sources

NHS Healthier Families, Healthy growth and weight; University of Bath and the British Dietetic Association, Talking to your child about weight; Tatangelo, McCabe, Mellor and Mealey, a systematic review of body dissatisfaction and sociocultural messages among preschool children (Body Image, 2016)

It goes with

• Body Image. For parents who want their child to grow up comfortable in their own body.

The first chapter you open here is free to read in full.

Free on this subject

• Body image. What to do first, what helps, and who else can help. Free to read and to print.
• Eating disorders. What to do first, what helps, and who else can help. Free to read and to print.