My daughter has gained 25 pounds in 3 months

My daughter has been overweight for about three years. We eat healthy, and she gets regular excercise. She is quite active, with riding her bike, jumping rope, swimming, etc. We do not keep junk food like cookies and potato chips in the house, although she does eat them every once in a while. We do not eat fast food, maybe once a month, if that. My problem is that she has gained 25 pounds in three months, which just seems staggering to me. What could be the cause of this?

[Renee Radenberg]

Her weight is very much above the 95th percentile and her height is on the 95th percentile for her age. That is great she is active. She needs approximately 2000 calories daily to grow. You seem to know that it is recommend increasing children's physical activities (play, dance, sports) to lose weight, and not lower calorie intake due to the need of calories for growth. Suggest dancing which is fun and will help to maintain/lose weight. Limit time in front of the TV or non-active-video games. There have been studies showing the longer the length of time a child sit in front of the TV, the greater the weight gain. Suggest limiting high sugar drinks/snacks and try replacing with low fat milk/yogurt or fruit/popcorn/low fat cheese. Additional suggestions: cook only low fat meats (chicken, fish, loin of pork) or non-meat sources (soy products, nuts), low fat vegetarian combinations (rice & beans, pasta & beans, low fat cheese & pasta), fat free or low fat dairy products (skim milk, 1% milk, low fat cheese, low fat yogurts, low fat soy milk/yogurt), use plant oils, non trans-fat margarines, and eat a lot of fruits and vegetables. Eat daily high fiber breads and cereals (oatmeal) and limit ‘junk’ foods. Make exercises fun for her and do not punish so she stays with it. Have her help you cook healthy foods so she learns how to eat right. Thank you for your question.