A MOM whose eight-year-daughter is being bullied because of her size wants to put her on a diet.
But she is worried the move will foster an unhealthy relationship with food and cauMeese long-term damage to her child.

It was a visit to their doctor that first revealed the extent of the problem. He described the child as being “on the edge of obesity."
The creeping weight gain of her daughter had caught her mom by surprise and left her shocked, she explained on Reddit.
“Other kids have said they won’t play with her because she is fat,” declared her mom.

But she also says her daughter “loves to eat,” before admitting the issue is far more complex.
“Food is important to her when she is bored,” she mom. "So we have tried to give her other ways of distraction and satisfaction.”
Mom and dad have attempted to take sensible steps around their daughter’s diet: “We try as best as we can to not see sweets as treats so that she doesn’t feel food is a reward.
“We have talked to her about it, but rather than saying her looks are the problem, we talk about the soldiers [her immune system] who need to stay healthy.”
Further efforts have been made by increasing activity levels, including tennis, swimming, and walking their dog.
Despite this, the mom is concerned that focusing so much on her daughter’s weight and diet will only lead to even more long-term health concerns.
“We want to avoid any kind of trauma or push her towards an eating disorder.
"At the same time, we don’t want her to be unhealthy at the start of her life or suffer from other kids' perception of her.”
The bottom line, she knows her daughter’s weight is a problem but is unsure how to tackle it sensitively. She appeals to a Reddit forum for some guidance.
She struck a nerve there, with her post attracting nearly a thousand comments, some were sympathetic, others offered advice, but there were also some warnings.

A good tip from one suggested: “Changing how the entire family eats is the way. If mom and dad aren't buying junk, 8-year-old isn’t eating junk.”
Another shared her experience: “I feel this to my core.
"God bless my mother but she makes comfort food 5 times a week, keeps multiple pantries packed with junk food, then would lecture me on my weight when she wasn’t the skinniest either.
"It’s been a rough ride, but I know I will never do that to my children when I decide to start a family.”
Parents have to take a long, hard look at themselves said several comments: “The issue is a lot of parents are selfish when it comes to what they want.
"They won’t stop buying junk food because they’re thinking, ‘well, I want it. My kid can eat healthy food.’
"They don’t see the hypocrisy in it. They stock the house with junk food and then get upset when their kids get fat from it.”
Finally, several comments wondered if there were other issues that have contributed to her daughter’s weight gain.
“Overeating that much at that age often is a signal of underlying issues that once sorted out result in healthier habits," one person shared.
"Putting the focus on the food while ignoring the root of the problem will lead to eating disordered behavior.”