Birth control and metabolism: Can Depo-Provera shots have caused me to gain weight for four straight years? … and more of your questions answered here - Weight Loss Q+A

Shape, Feb, 2003 by Suzanne Schlosberg

Herrin suggests you see a registered dietitian who specializes in overweight children. Make the first visit without your daughter so you and the dietitian can discuss which one of you is best suited to guide your daughter through the process of improving her habits. "It can be very empowering to the child to start working on these issues with a third party," says Herrin.

A nutritionist also can help you address the causes of your daughter's weight problem. Is she overeating because she's bored after school? Is she snacking on high-calorie foods? Does she binge eat? Whatever the issues are, ask for your daughter's input. "Maybe there's something you could do together to manage food differently at home," Herrin says. "Usually, these kids have wonderful ideas. If you involve her in the solutions, she will feel like she's a worthwhile person."

Don't look at your daughter's weight as her problem alone, Herrin says. "This is a wake-up call to the whole family. Do you eat dinner together? Is everyone eating breakfast?" Get the family involved in doing physical activity together. "Be careful that you don't turn your daughter off to exercise. Kids don't want to go out jogging, but they like going on hikes or bike rides or walking around the mall."

Q: A friend of mine drinks vinegar after each meal, and another friend takes apple-cider vinegar pills. Both say that vinegar helps break down fat and helps you lose weight. Is this true?

A: No, vinegar does not have magic powers, says Cleveland nutritionist Cindy Moore. "There's this idea that acid can eat through just about anything," Moore says, but vinegar and other acidic foods, such as grapefruit, have no effect on fat. No pill, powder or potion can negate what you just ate. So rather than worry about how to compensate for extra fat you may have eaten, Moore suggests, "think about the outcome before you eat. Be mindful of portion sizes and the food choices you make."

Suzanne Schlosberg is the author of Fitness for Travelers: The Ultimate Workout Guide for the Road (Houghton Mifflin Co/Mariner Books, 2002).