Kids and Quarter Pounders???

She can't eat what you don't bring in the house, like doughnuts. My suggestion is that you have the same rules for all the girls regardless of their body types. If one of them eats healthy, reinforce that with all of them and definitely be the model as well. My kids are a lot younger and boys, 2 and 4 year old, but I model good eating habits, regular excercise, and healthy choices, while still allowing McD's once in a while, dessert, "bad foods" in general in moderation. If you start now, she may carry the eating healthier tradition into adulthood and you don't have to worry about diabetes, obesity, and other problems that result from unhealthy eating habits. Good luck!

I agree with the others that the problem seems to be that her meals/snacks aren't filling enough (sugars and carbs just give you a quick boost of energy, then a crash). She needs to be eating plenty of fruits and veges, lots of protein (meat, dairy, nuts, beans), and drinking lots of water. Even so, remember that she's 9, which means she's hitting puberty and will require LOTS of food for growing!! I remember when I was 11 I was about 5'2", maybe 90lbs, and I could eat a medium pizza AND soda by myself. My parents couldn't feed me enough food! But as long as it's healthy food, or going out to eat occasionally, I see no reason why she shouldn't be allowed to eat until she's full. If all she's snacking on is a vege tray with some ranch dressing, I don't see how she could overeat =)

It does seem like her eating habits aren't that great. Is it possible to keep only healthy things in the home while she is there? Exercise at home and ask her if she wants to join. Are there any active sports she can get into? It's kind of a back door approach, but I think it's important to work on being healthy overall, as opposed to just watching what we eat.

My kids are 4 and 2 and we try to watch what we eat. I do exercise videos at home and sometimes my kids jump in and join me. Or they ask why people exercise. They like to point out people running or biking and say they are exercising. In the summer, I pull them around in a bike trailer and sometimes we will ride up to the middle school track to let the kids "run" around....my 4 year old loves to and my 2 year old plays in the dirt :-) They also ride their own bikes a lot in the summer. My 4 year old is in Blastball.

Hope this helps some.

been there. When my husband and I got together we had my 3 kids and his daughter and her half brother (not Dh's kid). So lots of young kiddos (ages 6-3) and lots of different genetic makeups, plus lots of very different parents parenting. lol. Meals were a big issue, because for one, i'm not a short order cook. Secondly my SD was extremely overweight, not chubby, like 60 plus pounds, average height and not even 5 years old.

My kids had always been on a schedule, and still at 12, 10 and 8, eat at the same times every day. breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner/dessert. When they were home during the day we did a snack between breakfast and lunch. They can basically have whatever they want, and we do mini meals for snacks, yogurt, cheese, fruits and veggies, raisins, peanuts ect. and 1 single serving treat (but still not chips or candy).

Mind you this was not a diet, there was no limit, and eating every 3 hours is very very good for you, but my SD dropped weight like crazy, which wasn't really the goal, although her being healthy was an objective.

Also I only cook enough to feed us, I don't make enough for lots of leftovers, which means no one is tempted to over eat just because it is there. If they want seconds and the food is gone they can get a yogurt or something.

If you have room in the fridge and are ok with the kids feeding themselves, I like to have L. containers with each kids cold snacks for the day, a couple of cheeses and yogurts, some cleaned fruit and cut up veggies, with them being older it really helps limit them to some degree and yet allowing them to eat when they want and give them some choices.

First off... I am DARING to make assumptions based on the information you have here- so if I am off base on your daughter's diet... it is not "on purpose"

She is really too L. to go on a "diet" without specific instructions from a pediatrician... so try not to limit HOW MUCH she can eat- but do start enforcing what she is eating. "carbs" are not good for anyone if they are eaten too much, especially sugar, sugar substitutes, and starches... Try to make sure she has plenty of healthy protein (don't worry about "fat" at this age... kids need "fat" for healthy brain function and growth).

If she is hungry - let her eat- but don't feed her plain carbs automatically... she'll burn through them too fast and be hungry again- and after a while this could lead to high blood sugar (and high blood sugar leads to diabetes- eek! But don't panic about it- this is just a good reason to take action to re-organize her diet now rather than later)

I am not saying to cut out carbs completely- but when she wants a "snack" it may be better to offer some scrambled eggs... a slice of cheese, or some plain yogurt with fruit (which have healthier carbs).

Stop bringing donuts home, and try to offer more balanced alternatives for breakfast- with a combination of carbs and proteins- an egg sandwich (on whole grain toast or an english muffin) a with 1 slice of bacon or sausage may not sound "healthy"- but for a kid it has the carbs to get their metabolism going, and the protein to give their breakfast "staying power" through lunch. A slice of cheese would hurt if that isn't enough for her.

Her body needs to reprogram- she needs foods that will help her grow "up" rather than "out"... which are muscle and brain building foods like healthy fats and proteins. She also needs lots of vitamins and nutrients... so consider amping up her supply of "powerfoods" (think blueberries, prunes, carrots, spinach... etc) - bright, naturally "vibrant" foods often have the most nutrients--- naturally "dull" colored foods often have less.

Of course... if you can, consider making a food log of all she is eating for a week... and then take it in to the pediatrician or a child-nutritionist. They may be able to look at that log and say exactly what foods your daughter has too much of, and what she is missing out on. Your daughter is hungry because her body NEEDS something... but only by seeing what she is missing can you discover what that "something" is...

And then relax... plenty of kids are chunky at stages in their lives... especially right before they "shoot up" in height. Of course some kids are skinny bean-poles all their lives and then plump out the second they hit adulthood! As long as she is still growing, has plenty of energy, and is developing normal you probably have L. to worry about)

Good Luck!
-M.

oh- and the QP question... if she wants the burger... get her the burger- but for a drink insist that she has milk, or even an iced tea... and skip the fries or stick to a small or "value" order.... the sides are what "git" ya- not the burger! BUT that is if she goes there often... if a trip to a fast food place is once in a blue moon (like once a month) let her have what she wants, so long as she can eat it. This is because it is a treat- and you have changed her eating pattern at home... right? Also- since you said that she stays with mom 50% of the time... try to arrange the same diet changes there too... you cannot MAKE them do anything "over there"- but chances are they can see eye to eye with you so long as it is in the best interests of your daughter!

She wants to eat, I would not deny her to eat. But her choice after one kid size hamburger/meal would be fresh fruit, or veggie. If you do go to McDonalds, bring an apple, or other piece of fruit for her to eat after her hamburger when she complains about still being hungry. Same thing with home. Hungry? My response would be, fruit or veggie? Then get rid of all the junk, stock up on the fresh stuff. If certain fast food or certain other restaurants invite her to beg for more and more unhealthy food, don't bring her there. This would be a red flag for me to cut out the regular trips to McDonalds.

I read the responses...most all are good advice.

Did anyone stop to think that she is shoveling food down her throat because of emotional problems? Perhaps she is "mentally wounded" because Mom and Dad dont live together and she gets shuffled back and forth, back and forth?
A diatecian is a good idea, Perhaps a therapist could be a GREAT idea.
I absolutely DO NOT mean this to sound rude. MANY overweight people are overweight for a REASON.
Some family therapy could be just what she needs.

I would like to add that when talking about food as a comfort. Quarter Ponders at McD's is ALWAYS the same. They never dissapoint. Same goes for Nacho Cheese Doritos. She is finding normalcy and solice in these foods that dont change. Her L. world is a bit topsy turvy. French fries are not topsy turvy. (in her mind) It probably doesnt help that the others are thin...just adds fuel to the fire.
Get her some help now...watch "Ruby" on Stlye network about how food addiction and trauma go hand and hand.(not that your DD had trauma in the true sense of the word, just 'trauma' to a 9yo) She (Ruby) weighed over 700 lbs at one time...she now struggles for change.
Help your SD NOW...rather than wait til she is in high school and weighs 350.

Maybe show him the nutritional facts??

When you review the nutritional value of both....it isn't good. With the QP you are getting 200 extra calories , a whopping 440 additional mg of sodium and double the amount of saturated fat. Combine that with an order of fries and a soda....

http://nutrition.mcdonalds.com/nutritionexchange/nutritio...

Everything in moderation!

So, does she live with you? If so, there's no reason for her not to have a wide variety of healthy snacks to eat. No one should be having donuts for breakfast. Don't even bring them in the house! Explain to her that eating sweets amd fast food makes you too big, slow and eventually very sick and unhealthy. If she's not living with you, you can only control what she eats when with you, but make sure treats are only treats once in awhile. Regardless of body weight, no one needs to be eating sweets and junk food on a regular basis.

Personally I don't think that kids should be denied food, even if it seems like they are never full. The goal should be to provide healthy foods, and teach healthy eating habits.

Why have junk food in the house at all? Get rid of it and keep fresh fruits and veggies instead. Wash fruits and veggies when you buy them, and cut up things like carrots so they are ready to eat. Less fuss involved with getting the snack means it's more likely to be eaten.

Cook tasty healthy meals for the entire family to eat, and eat together.

Stop rewarding the kids with junk food. Treat them to frozen yogurt instead of hamburgers and fries. Or better yet reward with something other than food. Rent a movie to watch, allow extra outside play time, use whatever they enjoy as a reward instead of food.

Your daughter may have bad eating habits, but singling her out and focusing on it does not help her. Treat all the kids the same; don't allow any of them to have junk food (or much junk food), encourage healthy eating habits, and stop rewarding with food.

Since your SD has to switch homes every week, she is obviously stressed. (Imagine if she stayed in the same home and the adults were the ones who switched each week.) It sounds like she is using food to deal with the pain. Your husband sounds like he is feeling guilty and just wants her to be happy so he is ignoring the reason for eating habits.

Sounds like the adults need to get her some counseling before to deal with the pain. Imagine how much worse it will get when she is a teenager and fat while the kids that get to live with her dad every week are thin...

The reason she is so hungry is because she does not get healthy calories only junk. When she is with you she eats what you eat and that is it. No donuts or other such treats as your daughters do not need her food habits.
She needs a healthier diet to build a strong body and so she shall have it half time.
Now here is where we differ I NEVER took my kids to McD. IT is JUNK FOOD. Full of fat and worthless for the money. We never went anywhere for fast food.
We ate an organic diet. Unsprayed, biologically grown food and it meant good health for everyone. My eldest daughter has one filling in her mouth to this day. You want to eat well cut out ALL junk food. It has no place in our diets. MickeyD and his fellow junk food purveyors is responsible for much of the childhood cancers we see.

If, after eating one cheeseburger, she is still hungry, order some veggies or apples. Its not about her weight, its about making good choices.

Make some food rules at your house that apply to all of the kids - certain banned foods, certain foods that are only for special treats, certain anytime foods, etc. If there is something you dont want her to eat, dont buy it for anyone in the house.

For example, have unlimited veggies and fruit - whenever they want (unless they are snacking so much it interferes with meals). Donuts are a special weekend treat - and only one. Snacks include the fruit, veggies, cheerios, lowfat cheese, whole wheat crackers, yogurt (read the labels - NOT one with lots of sugar) etc.

You cant do anything about what she eats at her moms house but you can teach her healthy eating habits without picking on her or singling her out.

Just to put McDonalds in perspective - I am doing Weight Watchers and get 29 points a day. Before Weight Watchers, i thought I was making a good choice by picking the kids meal at McDonalds. Now I know, the kids hamburger meal is 15 points - over half of my points for a day!

A donut is a L. less than a third of my points for a day... So now instead of 3 or 4, I have one - every couple of weeks...

My initial reaction is that you make sure that only healthy foods are in the house. For example, eating doughnuts for breakfast might end up making her hungry so often because she is eating empty calories.

I guess what I am trying to say is that if you only have healthy foods available, then the children will all be eating the same food. It is very difficult for children to be treating differently and you definitely do not want to be sending that message that you are only restricting HER volume of food. The great thing about emphasizing healthy options is that it she should be able to satisfy her hunger without ingesting huge quantities of calories. Also, when talking to her, make sure that any comments about food choices are not connected to her body size, but rather to her body's health. My kids (8 and 12) already know about heart disease and cancer being related to diet, for example. I don't scare them, but I do try to educate them.

BTW, I am saying this based on a shift we made in our family's diet. My husband is now vegan, I eat mostly vegetarian (both for health reasons). We do not restrict our kids diet in the same way, but we do emphasize a LOT of veggies and fruits, whole grains, brown rice, tofu, hummas and so on. Once you commit to eating like this, your palate really changes and you no longer crave the junk. My kids get occasional treats when out, like hot dogs, but they also love to eat things like mussels and clams.

Good luck. You sound like a great mom and step mom.

I agree with the "snack? Grab a piece of fruit" idea. One QP should satisfy her. She may not be "full" but she should be satisfied. But like others said, limit your trips to McDs and you should be fine.

And if you don't buy the doughnuts, then she can't eat them. You might say "but my husband takes them for work. He eats them in the car." Well if that's the case, then husband might be modeling for her poor eating habits and he should quit that too (or keep the dougnuts in the car, or go pick some up on his way to work).

She is old enough to learn to read labels and see what a 'portion' is. She can add up percentages to find out she's getting 350% of the sodium that she should be getting for a day, for example.

My landlord's daughter is 13 and overweight. He complains about it, but does nothing to fix it. (He gets her every weekend). She has recently told her dad she wants the adult meal and not the kids meal. He gives in and gets it for her -- teaching her that she can have whatever she wants and really, he doesn't care about her weight/health. DON"T give in.

Yikes... she was not taught good eating habits from day 1. That started the problem. Kudos to you for teaching your children good habits. I am also luck to have a child who will choose fruit over candy any day.

I am 5'4" about 116# and I cannot eat a Quarter Pounder myself.

Since you and your family do not eat this type of junk foods, I would limit what is in my pantry and leave healthy choices. We drink very few sodas so my spare fridge is full of water mostly.

Another thing would be no more McD's treats. When she sees you and your family eating healthy, you are modeling the good habits. Keep modeling the good habits and push a lot of water to fill her up. Sounds like she is eating for comfort.

I think she probably craves more food because of the types of foods she is eating.. carbs, esp SUGARY ones such as those donuts will raise the blood sugar which in turn sets off the rise in insulin and then of course, the body crashes and to "re-awaken" it .. the body begins to crave more food.. it's a vicious cycle... and not the girls fault but rather those around her who allow her to eat such sugary foods.. that said.. why not allow her a QB but WITHOUT the cheese.. that will def cut down on calories. my son is 9 and hasn't eaten off the kids menu for a really long time. he too does enjoy his food so in our case and what sounds somewhat like yours, it's about portion control. I never disallow my son food, I just say try and make healthy choices. in his case, we never eat donuts for breakfast or drink soda or even fruit juice. However, he has always been bigger than average.. It's been a struggle with the weight but he has now stabilized for about a year... he's still a bit over weight but at least he is no longer gaining and my hopes are that he can "grow into his weight" as for your SD.. perhaps you might try and add MORE protein (that will help to suppress the cravings and wanting of food) additionally, can you add more fiber.. this may fill her up a bit longer.. also, keep in mind.. could be the combining of family that has her stressed... lastly, as mentioned with the QTR PDER meal.. you neednt add cheese or LARGE fries... or that soda.. in fact.. .order some water... I tell give my son options so that he feels in charge and NOT deprived... in other words, I say IF you choose to get a frosty cone.. then let's NOT get fries... generally, he agrees.. or I might say.. IF you choose to eat a slice of french bread before your meal (when we go out) I say ok... but let's order something with more veggie.. again. it's all about options and so far it's working.. he feels like HE gets to choose and it's not me running the show...

best of luck to you

Updated

I think she probably craves more food because of the types of foods she is eating.. carbs, esp SUGARY ones such as those donuts will raise the blood sugar which in turn sets off the rise in insulin and then of course, the body crashes and to "re-awaken" it .. the body begins to crave more food.. it's a vicious cycle... and not the girls fault but rather those around her who allow her to eat such sugary foods.. that said.. why not allow her a QB but WITHOUT the cheese.. that will def cut down on calories. my son is 9 and hasn't eaten off the kids menu for a really long time. he too does enjoy his food so in our case and what sounds somewhat like yours, it's about portion control. I never disallow my son food, I just say try and make healthy choices. in his case, we never eat donuts for breakfast or drink soda or even fruit juice. However, he has always been bigger than average.. It's been a struggle with the weight but he has now stabilized for about a year... he's still a bit over weight but at least he is no longer gaining and my hopes are that he can "grow into his weight" as for your SD.. perhaps you might try and add MORE protein (that will help to suppress the cravings and wanting of food) additionally, can you add more fiber.. this may fill her up a bit longer.. also, keep in mind.. could be the combining of family that has her stressed... lastly, as mentioned with the QTR PDER meal.. you neednt add cheese or LARGE fries... or that soda.. in fact.. .order some water... I tell give my son options so that he feels in charge and NOT deprived... in other words, I say IF you choose to get a frosty cone.. then let's NOT get fries... generally, he agrees.. or I might say.. IF you choose to eat a slice of french bread before your meal (when we go out) I say ok... but let's order something with more veggie.. again. it's all about options and so far it's working.. he feels like HE gets to choose and it's not me running the show...

best of luck to you

Good morning A.L. I have 2 questions. Does her biological mother recognize the fact that her daughter is obviously obsessed with food and has a doctor ever been asked about this problem? It is very difficult to have one child eating one thing and another eating another. If you are feeding a very healthy diet then all should follow the same guidlines. It will pay off in the future. I suspect that there is more to her story than meets the eye. I have a child in my life and I swear that when she is here you can't fill her. I often wonder what her eating habits are when she is with her mother. Good luck with a very difficult decision. Your husband really needs to be on board if for nothing else the future health of his daughter. Diabetes is running out of control with our young ones.

L.

If she is really hungry then offer her healthy options not junk food. When my kid(s) want a snack I always offer healthy food first if they eat that then I know they are hungry. If they still want something else I will offer a less healthy option, but always the healthier first.

No I do not think a 9 yr old should be eating a QP from McD's...I have a house full of boys, half of them teenagers and just last night I took my 7 yr old (fed him at home first) to baseball practice and had to pick up my 15 &16 yr olds from the mall...they were starving, McD's has a 2 QP for $4 right now so I got them each 2 QP's (no fries) and they each complained of being "totally stuffed' at 1 and 1/2 (of course they finished them anyway) but my point being these are growing TEENAGE BOYS who play football, soccer, basketball and wrestling, always active and constantly moving!

~My advice, start removing anything 'junk' from their diet and make sure SD has healthy snacks to munch on during the day, since she is a 'grazer', (always hungry) as we call it in our family!

Start by only having healthy choices on your house and offer her those. If she doesnt want them then you simple tell her "this is what we have to eat I'm sorry you don't like it". I agree with the other comments, she needs to learn healthy eating habits. Make sure she sees everyone else in the family making good choices also. I would steer clear of fast food at all cost also.

First off, I want to commend you on your efforts as a mom and stepmom. It's a good thing that you care about all these food choices and that you have a good opinion about them for your family. I have two teenage daughters and there are a few things I can tell you on my end that might help you out in the long run.....and this is coming from experience. My two girls have always been thin, muscular, and never had weight issues. My oldest is much taller and has a larger frame...5'8" while my youngest is teeny-tiny at 5'1" and a whopping 94 pounds! I was exactly like my youngest child when I was her age and then once I hit 17....things changed and I grew taller and started to put weight on. This is happening to my older child right now and it happens pretty fast. She went from 112 pounds to 135 within a few months. She is tall and looks amazing but the junk foods, fast foods, and snacking the day away caught up with her just like it caught up with me. Once I started seeing this, I had to make changes in their diets and in the snack we keep in the house. I have tons of fruit available, yogurt, veggie stix, mozarella chees stix, sugar-free puddings, and fruit pops. I will buy ONE BAG of kettle chips (which they love and devour) per month and when it's gone.....it's gone! I also do not pick up fast food anymore and I discourage them from doing that when I'm not around. I cook for them at home and they pack their lunches for school. I just don't want them to eat junk all day and pay the price for this later. My advice is to re-think the family menus, the snacks you have available, and stop the fast food if you can. Also make sure they eat enough at regular meals so the snacking stays under control. Grown kids will eat themselves silly or pick up bad habits of eating when they are bored. I think you are on the right track and if you start the changes now, they will carry over to your kids when they are adults. Good luck!

My neice went through a stage where she was a bottomless pit! Very thin and ate everything in sight. My thoughts are as long as you mix in healthy choices, fruits veggies, trail mix etc. with some unhealthy snacks she should be fine. This is a normal stage that she will most likely grow out of. Once she hits puberty you will need to be more diligent on how much and what she eats because that is when weight gain could happen with all the hormones changes.

As far as the quarter pounder, if she will eat it get it for her. I'm assuming this is not an everyday or every week meal so occasionally I don't think it will hurt her. Remember to pick your battles. With my son if he had McDonalds then his snack later needs to be healthy (fruits or veggies). I buy lots of 100 calorie snacks as well as fruit cups (with no added sugar) trail mix, granola bars, apples, grapes, bananas etc. so we have lots of choices in the house.

My Niece is 13 now and her eating has slowed down a lot, though she is still very thin.

Edit: Also this may have nothing to do with emotional issues, just wanted to add that, she may really be hungry!

I would think you need to adopt an across the board healthy eating plan at your house. That way if SD wants more snacks - great - more carrot sticks, bananas or a few more almonds aren't going to hurt her. Personally, no one should really have a qp meal.

It is already a major issue not going to trun into one. I grew up a fat kid and I really wish my parents would have taught me better eating habbits as they did not grow up fat but became fat in there twentys. It took me until my mid twenties to realy learn how to eat for my body and not for my emotion or out of boardom. Eating out of emotion can be anything from happy to its a holiday or what ever. I would definatly talk to your husband about this. use the bmi or ask her pedi what a healthy weight for her age and height should be. ask the pedi if he is consirned with the sd weight. i would definatly not have the doughnuts or even a snack at home before second breakfast at daycare. a glass of milk can fill her belly enough to wait for the dc breakfast. if the kids arent being responsible with the food in your house you have to be for them. they are kids and learning. i think at nine it is not too late to teach good health (eating exersize and handling emotions in the correct manner). good luck momma!

It is sooo difficult, but you need to let her father parent her with that. When it comes to HIS daughter, if you two aren't on the same page, then HE gets the final word. I went through the same thing with my SS and his super picky eating. (He once walked by while I was making pancakes and saw bubbles. Based on that, he didn't want to eat my pancakes anymore, even though he had been enjoying the taste. I grew up with healthy eating, and this kid hates fruits and vegetables!) All you can do is provide what you are going to provide; let her father provide more if he wants her to have more. If you always have something to say about it, then you'll never be heard, and that would defeat the purpose. Provide good meals. Allow for good snacks, with maybe the occasional junk for her, and show her affection and inclusiveness. She won't trust you enough to let you parent her if she doesn't see you moving beyond that. At some point, she'll probably come around. As long as you try to force it, she won't.

I agree with eliminating the doughnuts and other unhealthy high-sugar snacks, but my 9 year-old daughter, who is tall and large for her age but not overweight, on a hungry day, can easily eat a quarter pound hamburger. Her appetite isn't constant, as you describe here, but sometimes it's amazing! I've seen her eat a half of a medium pizza... A happy meal is not enough food for a child her age, the cheesburgers are tiny.

I have a similar appetite, and I weigh 125 lbs. I can easily eat a large hamburger and fries, or large plate of pasta, or a other similar sized meal, depending on my activity level and such. Other days, I don't eat so much. I do have a protein shake (Spirutein mixed with milk) every morning for breakfast, or I'm hungry all day.

I would push proteins with your SD, along with fruit and veggies. Some of us need a large amount of protein to stay feeling "full", otherwise we're hungry again right away.

My children are thin, as me and my husband are thin people so I think genetics play a role for one part of it and the other part of it is healthy choices. My oldest daughter is 11 and although we don't eat out much, except for road trips (maybe once or twice a year) , I can tell you that I watched my oldest daughter gobble up two cheeseburgers, fries, a shake...and still be hungry. When my daughters come home from school, they eat like they have not eaten all day...but they are thin. If your step daughter is still hungry after a meal, suggest she drink milk or water...it takes approximately 15 minutes for the brain and stomach to work together to let you know you are full. Often times a drink will curb the habit to eat more. Since you suggested she is chubby, I might also suggest she have a pediatrician look at her because maybe, she has an underlying medical condition. A L. blood work to rule out any conditions causing her to be so hungry and keep the weight on might be your best course of action. When she is with your family, keep healthy snacks on hand at all times. My kiddos would love it if I give them candy every time they ask...but I have yogurts, cheese sticks, fresh fruit on hand at all times. You'd be surprised how quick they are to grab what I have on hand when they are hungry and then they forget all about the candy. Even crackers with peanut butter and jelly is a healthy snack to consider.

It's your house, your rules. you don't need to cook and get different things for different kids. All that sugar for your SD is sooo unhealthy, as I am sure you know. I would just set a good example at your house and teach good eating habits. She may fight it at first, but she will get it, just don't give in to all this junk stuff. Food could be an emotional issue for her too and you definitely don't want to reinforce that one!