I am writing to you to find some peace of mind and get a clear understanding of what to expect... I have a beautiful young daughter, almost 8yrs. She has always been a good eater but also an extremely active child. Physical games always taking preference over mental games, etc... But of late, she is no longer that physical – having begun “big school” – reading, drawing and more passive games with girls are taking preference. This is all special and very much part of being a girl, I understand. My concern is that she continues to have a bottomless pit of hunger, despite relative inactivity. My husband and I sometimes laugh in the moment and at her relentless asking for food – but it is really beginning to concern us now. She is picking up weight steadily now, on the feminine problem areas – the thighs, buttocks and belly. Not that anyone would think her overweight at the moment – it is just that I simply do not wish my lack of pre-emptive action to be the cause of a life-long eight battle for my girl.  From a dietary/consumption perspective, she currently begins her day with a bowl of cereal (larger portion that what I would have); I pack her 3 provita “sandwiches” with Bovril (she does not like bread, which I thought was a good thing), a banana, apple or naartjie, dried fruit, perhaps a little biltong and water (no juice). She then gets a cooked meal for lunch at after care (she often tells me she has seconds) and then has fruit and marie biscuits or tennis biscuits (which I see the aftercare pack out as snacks). We then have a cooked meal for dinner and I continuously have to hold her back from eating before dinner and again wanting more food after dinner. This cannot be normal for a girl her age/size. She is rather tall and athletically built, but even her step brothers (one of which is the same age) eat like birds in comparison. She even eats more than I do on a daily basis. How could I curb this or guide her eating habits? A lot of the time she gets chips and sweets from friends at school too, so I realise that the control needs to lie with her as I cannot always be there. As I said, I do not have an overweight child, I would just feel awful if looking back, I could have pre-empted something not so nice... Thanks for listening.

Thank you for your email. I understand your concern for your daughter. The main reason she is putting on weight is because she has stopped exercising, and she needs to take up gentle sports such as tennis, ice- skating, dancing, swimming, or just walking with you and her dad. There is a possibility that her increased appetite is due to a growth spurt, hormonal changes and body changes preparing her for her menstrual cycle, anxiety, or other reasons. You will need to observe her for a while and if you notice other changes in her behaviour or personality, you may need to take her to your GP for a general check up. Looking at her daily diet you need to include more protein in her lunch box, such as a chicken salad, tuna salad, slices of cheese and egg. Protein is very filling and as her snack at school is mostly fruit she is probably very hungry after school and over eating at after care. The meals at after care are  probably high in starch, carbohydrates and fats. If she is hungry, say before supper give her a slice of chicken, another protein, or nuts. You also don't mention any starches in her diet and she does need starch for energy. If she is low on energy she may be eating constantly to get energy. She should be having baked or boiled potatoes as well as brown rice, and wholegrain pasta. It is important never to withhold food from her or make food an issue. Eating disorders arise when food becomes an issue. Also teach her to make healthy choices by explaining to her how our bodies need and process certain foods to be healthy. Educating her is empowering her and then she will over time choose the nuts, chicken and fish over chips and junk food without you policing her because she knows it is important to love and care for herself.  Remember to make healthy choices when shopping and role model healthy eating for her. She will observe and copy your eating habits as she grows and becomes a young woman. Good luck and let me know how you all are doing.