Diet Question - edited version

[Gymnasticsgirl521]

I have to say I don't have a problem with DD getting weighed and her BMI done. I think it is all done to show where there is room for a healthlier eating habits. They don't weigh the girls on a regular basis this is just to get them on the same page and to help them make the right choices. (this is what I am believing). I did talk to DH and neither of us have a problem if the recommended diet is a healthy diet and one that is realistic. Meaning teaching her how to eat right and what things she shouldn't be eating. Trust me DD can eat and on more than one ocassion I have had to tell her to "STEP AWAY FROM THE FOOD". She is not over weight by any means she is 46 inches tall and 42lbs. She has a waist of a size 3T and wears a size 6 for the length. Also both of our children get the scales out and weigh themselves on a weekly basis but they get excited when the number changes because they think they have grown more.

From what I understand this person talks about the dangers of eating McDonalds and junk and helps to inform the girls and us of some good choices that they can have on the go.

After the meeting I will let you all know what happens. It isn't going to happen till later this summer. I was just caught off guard listening to them talking about the team diet. It freaked me out a tiny bit. Also trust me our gym has girls in all shapes and sizes too. I just didn't know if this happened at other gyms or if it was a usual thing so to speak.

[gym law mom]

The nutrionist idea is fine. Discuss eating healthy and how to make good choices when out to eat/shop etc. I don't think there needs to be a team diet put in place---some kids will like some foods and others will find other things that are healthy to eat. I know our hc does talk with the girls about healthy eating and bringing in healthy snacks to practice.

As for weigh in and checking BMI-----absolutely not. It doesn't show if your kid is eating healthy or not. At the meeting I would ask if the weight/BMI would be done in private or groups and if the parents get a report. Thing is to the little ones, the numbers mean nothing. To the tweens and teens it could be devastating even though you could tell them until you're blue in the face that alot of that is muscle etc.

This really sounds like a way of doing weigh ins again(as in the 70s/80s) under the guise of nutrition. I would say if your dd's doctor has no concern with her weight, then why should the gym care?

[Panda-girl's Mom]

It is funny although most gyms focus on good nutrition yet in all the meets we have been in the past year, they have all sold candygrams to send out to the gymnasts. Unfortunatly my daughter is a candy-holic although she also eats alot healthy foods. They work so hard at the gym I am sure it burns alot of calories. I think weighing in is very dangerous ecspecailly with the teenage girls.

[bigtiny]

My personal opinion is that I would not let my daughters (I have three on team) get weighed in the gym. I don't think that's the place for it. That is an issue for parents and doctors, not coaches. Talking about nutrition is fine, but I'd think that they would want parents to be part of that discussion.

My daughters are all small and weight has never been an issue. Even with that, I can see my older daughters (11 and 9) starting to pay close attention to weight. I make sure to emphasize health and nutrition with them. There is enough pressure in the world on girls. They do not need pressure on that issue from the gym.

Honestly, if their gym put them on a scale, we would walk out the door. My philosophy is that gymnastics should build them up, not knock them down.

I'm sure you will decide whatever is best for your daughter .

[MdGymMom01]

I do not agree with weigh-ins at the gym at all. Like some of the other posters said, they are already very competitive and are around each other in leos all day so knowing their weight or bmi is only going to cause issues. There is no reason to weigh a child unless they are at their doctors office to determine healthy growth.
I would seriously ask the gym owners what the purpose of the weigh-ins are for. Also, the nutrtionist idea is good in that I think it is important for kids to learn good nutrition early so that they grow into healthy adults. You just have to be careful in how you present the material to gymnasts since they are already trained to "perfect" skills and work so many hours in the gym.

[Ingymmom]

I think it is great to have a nutritionist come into the gym. Knowledge is power!

I guess I am in the minority here to say that I would have no issue having the nutritionist check my childs weight and BMI measurements. I think it is important for children to know and understand the importance of "what is obesity?". I doubt that one weigh in would effect a child's mental state anyway, unless it is a particularly fragile child. If that is the case then the parent may make a decision to not have their child participate - I assume it is voluntary.

My boys are teenagers now & have been involved in sports for years where they have had to be weighed weekly , and at f-ball, speed camps have had their BMI checked as well. They always had fun with this, never considered it anything more then a heathy guidline. In their case, weighing in each week has actually helped them to make their own healthy choices - at least come game time They are conscious but not paranoid about staying fit.

Schools have actually considered BMI checks for students as well - obviously controversial. Here is an article.

http://www.ashaweb.org/pdfs/joshfinal_249_07nov27.pdf

[mygirlflipz]

Okay...I am definitely in the minority here. My dd is weighed twice a day at practice...once before her workout and once after. It is a requirement of the gym to train at her level and I am perfectly fine with it (now that I have gotten used to it). I trust her coaches and my daughter and I have a great relationship and communicate about it often.

When we started at this gym, I was a little nervous because it was not something we were used to. I actually spoke with an eating disorder specialist because I wondered if the environment could become unhealthy. She said that weighing is common with gymnasts and other athletes training at an elite level (My dd is not an elite but many of the girls training in the gym are already at that level). I was particularly worried since my daughter (who is 9 by the way) casually reported her weight as part of her discussion about what she had done at practice every day. It just seemed so odd for there to be such a focus on it. The feedback that was given to me was that it was good for her to talk about it everyday and that I should get concerned if she stopped talking about it. My dd has grown a little this year and her weight and height have increased a little as a result. I think they expect that and it has not been an issue.

I honestly am not sure why they do it, but I think some gymnasts at our gym do have weight targets that they cannot exceed but my dd does not. I also think that there are limits that certain gymnasts cannot get under so it goes both ways. My dd has a different build than a Japanese gymnast/person and is much more muscular. They seem to respect that.

So...I think educating the girls on their bodies and the best way to eat is a good thing. In our case, weighing is okay because my dd knows my position on it and is comfortable talking about it with me. Hopefully it will stay that way. I have never really limited what she eats. If she feels like a piece of candy, she has it. Everything in moderation is my philosophy. Hopefully good communication and my dd understanding her body will keep us out of any trouble (or frustration on her part). Keep your fingers crossed for us!

[Livinatthegym]

No way would I let my girls set foot on a scale at the gym. Even if it's done in private, you think those girls aren't going to talk/compare with each other?

The last thing you want is the implication that "big" girls don't belong in the sport or that there's something "wrong" with a post-pubescent body because it has a higher BMI. My dd1 already felt out of place because, in her words, she was "the only one with boobs and a butt".

Once a gymnast goes elilte, maybe you need to monitor weight. USAG Junior Olympics, though, really should leave the weighing and measuring to the health professionals. Brining in a nutritionist? No problem. The more info they have on good eating, the better.

[vmom]

I'll go with the majority here. Teaching and encouraging good eating habits is fine. My daughter's coaches are pretty vocal about bringing fruits as snacks rather than cookies or chips. They always say they want their gymnasts healthy, not skinny or tiny.
Weigh ins at the gym would probably devastate my daughter. She is small, but muscular. And she developed a bit earlier than most. (She can relate to the boobs and butt quote!) She is already so self conscious about her body. But, it has not hindered her abilities as a gymnast.
BMI's are tricky. They are just a number and don't really take into account what is fat and what is muscle. My daughter has a healthy BMI, but it is in the high healthy range. But, she is very muscular. I have a low BMI, but I am not healthy and am pretty flabby, despite being "skinny". In other words, if we were weighed in and had our BMI's done together, on paper I would look better. But, in reality if you tried to get me through conditioning, tumbling, bars, beam, vault and floor you'd have to call an ambulance! So why bother with theses numbers if they are not a true measurement of fitness and strength?

[Megley]

Count me in the majority as well. I think advice about nutrition, particularly as it relates to gymnastics, is a fantastic idea. I am opposed to the idea of weighing kids at the gym, though. I agree that little kids won't be troubled by this as they love being weighed, generally speaking, but kids approaching adolesence don't need this. I was a swimmer and was weighed daily in college. If we were not our goal weight, we were required to run stairs in full sweats. I attribute it, in part, to later issues with food and weight that it took a long time to overcome.

Meg