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Expert Q&A
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| By Eve Eliot Eating Disorder Expert | ||
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My daughter, who is in fifth grade, is very self-conscious about her weight. The only thing I notice is her belly, which I think is completely normal for her age. She obsesses about it, and is always telling me she's "knows she's fat." How do I handle this? I don't want it to affect her self-esteem.
You could take the humorous approach (but only if your daughter has a sense of humor). You could suggest she develop her personality, which is what my mother suggested whenever I complained about my appearance and I must say, it was profoundly helpful!
The other approach is to reassure her that even though she feels fat, she isn't truly fat. Explain to her that in this world of magazines full of air-brushed models (explain to her what that is) and super-skinny people, no one in the media really is a "normal" weight. Your daughter is probably a normal weight for her size and age. Is she? If so, show her charts and point out that she fits right into them. See what happens.
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