(Posted 470 days ago)

Say This:

The teen years are a time of a lot of hormonal change and that can affect weight. One of the worst things you can do is put a teen on a restrictive diet - that can set off binging habits that stick with her for a lifetime.

I would focus on developing healthy habits for the whole family: plenty of exercise, not too much TV/computer time, healthy foods in as much quantity as she wants, junk food in limited amounts. Mealtimes should be emotionally supportive and you should pay attention to her emotional needs.

If she has all those healthy habits, you should then back off and stop worrying about her weight. She may be heavy, but she'll probably slim out once her hormones settle down. If not, it's really up to her to decide to lose weight. Your job is to help her feel good about herself no matter what she looks like. Don't undervalue the power of this gift - it's enormous.