Overweight 7 year old--other reasons besides diet??

[sonuptosondown]

Hello,
I've looked around and couldn't figure out where to post this--if I've posted in the wrong place, I'd love to be pointed in the right direction, thank you!!

Our 7 year old is overweight and continues to gain. I want to do some research before his annual physical in a few weeks and need some ideas of where to start. We only have healthy choices (fruits and veggies and low cal, low fat snack foods) in the house. We homeschool, so I know what he's eating. We've been really monitoring portion size since the beginning of the summer. Nothing is making a difference.
Neither side of the family tends toward being overweight, and definitely not as children.
He is above average height for his age.
He gets a good amount of daily exercise, running around, scootering...

What else could be causing this? Any ideas?
If it matters, he's been diagnosed with Asperger's.
Thanks!!
Deb

[frogguruami]

Is he taking any medication?

Originally Posted by sonuptosondown

Hello,
I've looked around and couldn't figure out where to post this--if I've posted in the wrong place, I'd love to be pointed in the right direction, thank you!!

Our 7 year old is overweight and continues to gain. I want to do some research before his annual physical in a few weeks and need some ideas of where to start. We only have healthy choices (fruits and veggies and low cal, low fat snack foods) in the house. We homeschool, so I know what he's eating. We've been really monitoring portion size since the beginning of the summer. Nothing is making a difference.
Neither side of the family tends toward being overweight, and definitely not as children.
He is above average height for his age.
He gets a good amount of daily exercise, running around, scootering...

What else could be causing this? Any ideas?
If it matters, he's been diagnosed with Asperger's.
Thanks!!
Deb

[sonuptosondown]

He is--Abilify for the Asperger's symptoms. I've talked about this possibility for the weight gain with the psych and he tells me it doesn't cause weight gain. But maybe I should look into that again?
Is there a better place to post this question, do you thinK?
Thanks for your input!
Deb

[Lovenest]

I just did a quick google search on Abilify and came up with that it does indeed cause weight gain:

http://bipolar-disorder.emedtv.com/a...ight-gain.html

Does Abilify Cause Weight Gain?
Weight gain is a common side effect of Abilify® (aripiprazole). Weight gain (of at least 7 percent of body weight) with Abilify occurs in up to 6.8 percent of people. While a small amount of weight gain is typical during treatment with Abilify, some people can gain very large amounts of weight while taking the drug.

http://www.drugs.com/cons/abilify.html

Other side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. However, check with your healthcare professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome.

More common

Acid or sour stomach; anxiety; belching; difficulty having a bowel movement (stool); dry mouth; fear; headache; heartburn; hyperventilation; inability to sit still; indigestion; irregular heartbeats; irritability; lack or loss of strength; lightheadedness; nausea; need to keep moving; nervousness; rash; restlessness; shaking; sleepiness or unusual drowsiness; sleeplessness; stomach discomfort, upset, or pain; trouble sleeping; unable to sleep; vomiting; weight gain

For more info just type in Abilify weight gain in google.
I hope the info helps you out.

[Ruthla]

Even if his medication is contributing to his weight gain, a change in his diet and/or exercise routine may still be helpful.

Hmm. If low fat, low calorie diet isn't working for him, you might want to try another approach. Low fat, low calorie diets work well for some people but not for others. Low carb seems to work well for many people who can't lose weight on low fat diets.

While I wouldn't put a 7yo on a strict low-carb diet (or a strict calorie counting diet for that matter) he may benefit from a modified version of low carb. Watching his portion sizes too closely could be counterproductive- if he's not getting enough calories for his personal growth and activity needs, he may be going into "starvation mode" and hanging onto extra calories instead of burning them up. I've seen this happen with adult dieters who lose weight more quickly, or resume weight loss after a stall, when they increase fat and calories in their diets.

I'd try emphasising proteins and fats and de-emphasizing grains and sweeter fruits. I'd give him lots of nuts and nut butters, fatty meats, full fat dairy products, veggies with avocado, mayo, or sour cream based dressings, and serve fruits with fatty foods (such as cream or full fat yogurt or peanut butter on apple slices) so he'll fill up with fewer fruits and consume fewer carbs. Obviously, exclude any foods he's allergic or sensitive to.

[frogguruami]

My son takes meds for his bi-polar and he has put on a lot of weight in the past 8 months. A lot of meds cause an increase in appetite. DS2 is starving all the time!!! So, no help but just letting you know you are not alone.

[Meg_s]

He may have a need for a higher fat/protein diet, and less grains/starch. I don't mean feed him "low carb" necessarily, but there are many people who thrive on more fat and protein and less starch. My entire family is like that, the ones who eat a Sensible low fat diet" are all plagued with health problems and excess fat.

Many people with Aspergers react to gluten, which contributes to the symptoms as well as adding fat to the frame and increasing depression/lethargy. A great nutrition blog from someone who has Aspergers is http://blog.plantpoisonsandrottenstuff.info/

[sonuptosondown]

Originally Posted by frogguruami

My son takes meds for his bi-polar and he has put on a lot of weight in the past 8 months. A lot of meds cause an increase in appetite. DS2 is starving all the time!!! So, no help but just letting you know you are not alone.

Wow, thanks for this info--my ds is starving all the time, too. I get so tired of stopping all activity because he's hungry...again! I will be able to deal with it much better if I can identify a reason.

Originally Posted by Meg_s

He may have a need for a higher fat/protein diet, and less grains/starch. I don't mean feed him "low carb" necessarily, but there are many people who thrive on more fat and protein and less starch. My entire family is like that, the ones who eat a Sensible low fat diet" are all plagued with health problems and excess fat.

Many people with Aspergers react to gluten, which contributes to the symptoms as well as adding fat to the frame and increasing depression/lethargy. A great nutrition blog from someone who has Aspergers is http://blog.plantpoisonsandrottenstuff.info/

Oh, this is exactly the info I need! Thank you thank you thank you!

[Panserbjorne]

I would second the blog. Food allergies are a part of Asperger's and can contribute to weight gain. If his body is in an inflammatory response your best bet for his overall health is determining his sensitivities and creating a healing program. It will do wonders for his weight, and even more potentially for the Asperger's.

[34me]

Has his thyroid been checked?

[sonuptosondown]

Originally Posted by firefaery

I would second the blog. Food allergies are a part of Asperger's and can contribute to weight gain. If his body is in an inflammatory response your best bet for his overall health is determining his sensitivities and creating a healing program. It will do wonders for his weight, and even more potentially for the Asperger's.

Should we go to an allergist for this? Immunologist?

Originally Posted by 34me

Has his thyroid been checked?

No, it hasn't--that's a good idea to ask the dr when we go, thanks!