I'm 13 and I still have puppy fat. I try and exercise to make it go away, but it won't! I can't wear bikinis or tight tops because it shows my puppy fat. What can I do to get rid of it?
Darcy

"Puppy fat" refers to fat that children have on their bodies that supposedly disappears at puberty, when the body grows much taller and its shape changes. Although this does happen for some young people, puppy fat can be a bit of a myth and younger children and their parents shouldn't assume that it'll go away. Whether you're a young child, an adolescent or a fully grown adult, excess fat on the body accumulates when more calories are consumed than those that are burned off with normal activities and exercise.

An important issue for you is that your body is probably going through a major growing period, so it is very important to give it plenty of fuel and nutrition (especially iron, calcium, cereals and carbohydrates). During puberty, girls do gain more weight in fat compared to muscle, to kickstart the menstrual cycle. If you are overweight — and you need to find out whether this is the case or not by looking at your age, height, genetic and racial factors, and where you are in your pubertal development — then keeping your weight under control is better than trying to lose a whole lot of weight quickly. Cutting out junk food, doing 30–60 minutes of aerobic exercise (such as walking) every day and eating lots of fruit and vegetables (five to seven serves a day) are the best ways to keep your weight down in the long run. As for feeling that your fashion choices are limited, it's more about how you feel in your clothes. There are absolutely no rules about what you should and shouldn't wear.