Should you let your teen diet? Mom’s decision about daughter sparks debate: ‘Red flag’

Diet culture seems to be just one more thing parents have to worry about when it comes to raising their kids.

One mom took to Reddit to ask fellow parents whether or not she should allow her 15-year-old daughter to go on a restrictive diet — and was met with mixed answers.

The anonymous parent, 44, said that her teenage daughter, Marie, had “been complaining about her weight” and requested to “go on a low-calorie diet,” which she later revealed would entail consuming 1,200 calories or less for a 5-foot-4 growing girl who weighs 150 pounds and is enrolled in multiple sports.

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The National Institutes of Health says that nonactive girls of Marie’s age need 1,800 calories, while moderately active and very active girls need 2,000 to 2,400 — double what the teen wanted to eat.

“I told her that I don’t think it’s healthy for a girl her age to diet, and that she’s beautiful the way she is,” the mom wrote.

“She’s been pouting ever since and has made comments like, ‘You’re just trying to keep me fat like you!’ and has left me wondering if I’m the a–hole.”

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The mom insisted that their household contains “health options” like fruits and vegetables, with the one caveat that most meals are cooked with the younger siblings’ needs in mind. The two are “notoriously picky eaters and have some sensory issues,” so the family cooks what the younger pair will eat.

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“Marie is angry with me because I’m not allowing her to go low carb and low calorie, and my husband is telling me that I should allow her to do what she wants,” she continued, adding that she’s taken her daughter to a doctor who determined that “her weight is normal.”

Fellow Redditors told the concerned parent that it sounds like her daughter might be experiencing “body image issues,” warning the mom about the “detrimental impacts” restrictive dieting could potentially have on her child’s growth.

Other users suggested taking Marie to a therapist, dietitian or clinical nutritionist who could help the teen, alarmed by the early signs of disordered eating , such as extreme calorie restriction.

“I have a daughter that developed anorexia nervosa, spent a month in the hospital, and two months in a residential facility,” one user warned. “This is how it starts. Wanting to eat healthier or trying to lose weight.”

“Not every diet turns into an eating disorder, but every eating disorder starts off as a diet, and the immediate fixation on calories is a significant red flag in that area,” commented someone else.

“Sounds like this might be a good opportunity to have an informed and open conversation with your daughter about some of these topics.”

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