California Girl, 9, Loses 66 Pounds
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Photodisc/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Breanna Bond weighed 186 pounds by the time she was 9 years old.
The extra weight made it difficult for her to breathe and move around. The California girl soon became a target for bullies.
“Everybody at school would call me names,” she said. “They would call me fatty, they would call me fat head.”
Bond’s weight gain began when she was a baby, reaching 100 pounds by the time she got to kindergarten. She couldn’t keep up with the friends who were running while they played.
Her mother, Heidi Bond of Clovis, Calif., decided to take matters into her own hands. She designed an exercise routine for her daughter and the entire family. They began to walk the four-mile trail near their home.
Before long, Breanna had lost 37 pounds.
In addition to following a diet that limits fat to 20 grams per day, Breanna also began using her home treadmill for an hour and 15 minutes each day. She also started to play basketball and joined the swim team.
Heidi said Breanna inspires her every day.
“She is an inspiration to the world and all children who are having weight issues across America, that you can do it with a pair of tennis shoes and motivation,” Heidi said. “It’s totally changed the course of her whole life.”
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio