I'm with you, Lisa...I have a nine year old daughter who is already referring to herself as fat (compared to Britney Spears etc). Lots of girls in her 4th grade class are already on diets, and she's recently started trying to emulate my 'diet'.

I'm honestly not sure how to handle this, as she's a perfectly normal sized child, with a good and healthy activity level. I reassured her, but did tell her that most snack foods are terribly bad for us, and it's always best to choose healthy foods and leave the cake etc for special occasions.

Ever have a look at school menus? URK! We talked about making best choices there and packing lunches so that she can eat the things that make her hair shine, her skin glow, and all her muscles and bones grow to their potential....but burgers, hotdogs and pizza along with fries is pretty common on the menu here. Not to mention "breakfast days" where lunch is french toast with syrup and fruit!