My daughter is 8 and weighs 126 1/2 pounds (and she's a few inches under five feet). She weighed 124 pounds 2 wks ago when we started the USD as a family.  She is stressed because her father and I have each lost about ten pounds (and her older sister is skinny anyway).

She takes vitamins but not herbal supplements because I don't know the proper dose. At 126 pounds can she have the adult dose of herbals to help relieve her built-up stress? I give her a little extra magnesium and vitamin D (1/2 pill daily) and she has and extra vitamin C chewable in addition to her Flinstone chewable. She also has been taking her daily pro-biotic pill for lactose intolerance (chewable otc). She gets virtually no exercise (but we do have a bowflex -I didn't know if she SHOULD use it.) We do try to encourage at least being outside in the sunshine and we practice active relaxation.

I didn't have her detox and haven't had her take saunas, either. We do have free and easy access to a sauna, though.

Her pediatrician recently did bloodwork and all was "normal": thyroid, tryglycerides, sugar, etc. I took her in because I was worried about her thyroid. Hypothyroidism "runs" in our family and I am "borderline" according to my doctor - whatever that means! I know she meets much of the criteria for hypothyroidism but I did not insist on a fuller spectrum panel for her thyroid the way Dr. Hyman suggests.

Her doctor gave her ranitadine for continual upset tummy. She was told to limit breads and sugar but eat lots of fresh fruits and veggies. We got the ultrametabolism book and the UltraSimple Diet. She hasn't lost any weight. She feels "okay" and hasn't complained of belly aches. (I didn't give her all the tests in the beginning) She's constipated a lot, even now. She's still sluggish and tired.

 We have educated our children with the scientific info in UltraMetabolism and we've shared the stories there.

I started giving her one flax pill daily but we all have not added flax to our diet in ground seed form (the adults get pills at breakfast and lunch).  She has not had the oil and lemon juice. She has not had the detox broth. However, I have put no limit on how many fruits, veggies or nuts she eats. I limit rice, beans, and chicken. I let her have tomatoes, too. She's had no sugar, soda, bread or junkfood. She was seriously upset when her thin 9 yo sister bought a donut while with friends a week ago and she stuck her tongue out and said, "That's okay - I'm going to get skinny and you'll be fat now!" - but when we all weighed-in, her already-thin sister had lost a couple of pounds and she had gained a couple. My husband and I are trying to remain positive for the sake of the children. Our family doesn't normally use the words "fat" or "overweight" or even "heavy" and our kids are schooled at home and we don't have TV - so I have no clue why my 8 yr old is so panicked about how she looks and how much she weighs. To my knowledge, nobody has told her she's fat, although well-meaning older ones have scolded her on her one and only "treat night" for eating "sweets" ( a glutenfree, wheatfree, soyfree cake similar to Dr Hyman's recipe!) I DO know she hasn't felt very well since she started putting on weight two years ago.

I feel so sorry for my little girl and I don't want her to be discouraged going into week three.

Can an 8 year old at this weight apply the USD plan and Ultrametabolism guidelines the same way any adult would?

Should I re-start with her?

Should I put her on an exercise program with the bowflex? or make her do windsprints in the driveway?

Can she have some of the herbals Dr. Hyman recommends? How much?

We adults take milk thistle, ginseng, activated charcoal, extra selenium, extra D, extra C, extra magnesium, fish oil, flaxseed oil, garlic, L-Lysine and cranberry.

She takes multi, C, 1/2magnesium, 1/2D, garlic, L-Lysine, and Cranberry.

(the last two we've given them because my daughters get mouth sores and have had UTIs within the last six months)

Thanks, Jenn in Oregon

My original goal was to ease my three children into a healthy lifestyle by first eliminating all the junk and then adding all the healthy, without ever letting any of them "know" we were on a "diet". But, my daughter keeps asking me if she can have the same pills I have so that she can get skinny. I didn't want her to think I was taking "diet pills" because she knows my mother died after three years of phen-fen. This is a very delicate subject and I feel kind of stupid for asking. What kind of dialogue do I need to have with her and what action do I need to take here? Please Help!