Advice for Helping Child Gain Weight

My son has always been very slim. I was always of the mind that if they are thinking clearly, and have a lot of energy, then he is probably doing okay. (that was for my son). But, he isn't a picky eater. I do have a brother and nephew who are extremely picky.

I would always have a side dish that you are sure he will eat. Something healthy and full of calories and fat. And every other meal, make sure the main dish is something that he likes. I don't cook 2 things, but if I am cooking something, and one person doesn't liek sauce on the chicken (or whater), I take a portion out before I put the sauce on. Or, I leave the sauce off completely when possible and let everyone put their own on. Make sure that you have lots of snacks(preferable something somewhat healthy) available for him when he gets home from school. I have an open door policy on the kitchen, as long as they eat their dinner and other meals. (I might not do that if they were overweight, but that's not a problem you have).

Well, when you figure this out, I'd like to know myself. My son is 9, will be 10 this year, weighs 50 pounds and is 48 inches tall. He's only gained 5 pounds in the last 5 years. His doctor too is not overly concerned. I've tried the shakes and the pediasure, helps some, but he doesn't keep the weight on. It's not that he's so much a picky eater. Part of the issue is that his medications make him not very hungry during the day and he wants to eat everything in the house around 9:30, 10:00 at night. But even letting him eat then doesn't help him gain weight. He eats healthy foods as well as junk foods, but still doesn't gain weight. I've been pushing for a thyroid work up on him because he doesn't gain. With everything he has going on, his doctor needs to keep watching this....but I'm thinking I might have to change doctors again.

If your pediatrician isn't worried, I sure wouldn't be. Some kinds are like this. A couple of my grandkids who were this way are finding they have to cut calories in their 20's because they're beginning to get a bit pudgy.

My daughter is on the lean side also, and like your son the peditrician is not too concerned about it. I just make sure that she gets food that is not low in fat and I try to get her to get the foods high in fat, whole milk, whole milk yogurt and cottage cheese and anything else that I can come up with to add fat to her diet. You may have to fix him a little something extra at meal to make sure he is getting more fat and calories, I am not saying a whole meal, but a side that you know he will eat, but make sure it is a higher fat side. Good Luck!

Dear S., Please listen to your son's doctor. This is not an issue for your son, but it is your issue with food. He is healthy. No child will starve themselves to death, they instictly know when to eat and when not to. If you push, you could be setting him up for eating disorder in the future. When he is getting ready for a growth spurt he will be eating you out of house and home as he starts to fill out. All 3 of my children were as you describe and are very active, healthy, normal size adults. Good luck.

Dear Sarah,
I wouldn't worry too much about him not eating a lot. Better slim than too fat. Try to give him natural juice from fruits and vegetable (even a couple a teaspoons, if he doesn't want more); DOn't buy the juice, you make it fresh. That might give him some apetite. Also, I would encourage you to test to see if he doesn't have some intestinal worms. Otherwise, he is just a normal kid. He will be nice and slim when he grows up. I know, I have two of those (now in their twenties).
E-mail me back if you wish.
Thank you,
Crisitna

Hi S.,

Make sure he gets protein: chicken, fish, nuts. Protein is the base for muscle to develop. I put my grandson on Herbalife shakes for extra protein and he is doing great! I am also a distributor for this product and have been having great results. Contact me and I will be glad to send you any information that you would need.
J.

Wow. That IS lean. Are you very fond of your doctor?

My son has always been on the slim side and a picky eater too. I make sure he drinks his vitamins every day. He takes Might-a-mins, Vitamin C and OPC-3. This way I know he gets the nutrients he needs for his health while I watch him grow! (They are 95% absorbed in 5-10 minutes.)

Honestly, I am a distributor so I know the benefits of supplementation. I'm happy to share what I know if you are interested.

Bottom line is this, my son was tiny and is now growing and healthy. I know it wasn't the vitamins, it was God, but they sure help!

S.
____@____.com

If a child is hungry they will eat, so do your best to make him hungry! Have him work his little butt off during the day playing. Go for walks, the park, have him vacuum, clean his room, play in the back yard, etc. Not just an hour a day, I'm talking as much as you are home. People here tend to have this problem because the kids don't work up an appetite. I'm from another country and worked on a farm all my life, if I was a picky eater I would have starved b/c you have to replace thousands of calories a day!
Try it for a week and see what happens.

Hi S.,

First, if your pediatrician isn't overly concerned about it, then I wouldn't worry about it too much. Some kids are just leaner then others. In addition, kids will eat when they are hungry.

That being said, just make sure he is getting a fairly balanced diet. Push the fruits and veggies and make sure he is getting good sources of protein ... lean meats, nuts, etc...

A GREAT site for good wholesome nutrition information is www.nourishyourkids.org

This site is run by a nutritionist AND a pediatrician. The information is well researched and sound. They have great recipe options, good information on vitamins (they have a recommendation for a good vitamin drink that they use with their own families), and are just a great source of information on providing your family with wholesome honest to goodness REAL foods. (instead of a bunch of processed stuff that has little or no nutritional value.)

Good luck!

Be sure to give him a multi vitamin with iron daily as he may be lacking a certain vitamin. Also, you may want to try ensure or boost. Good luck!! :)

My son is the same way at times. When he doesn't eat a good meal, I give my son a herbalife protein shake. They have chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla flavors. Sometimes I mix the vanilla with fruit if he hasn't ate enough fruit. These shakes give him essential vitamins and nutrients, lower in sugar, and high in protein. I'm not sure how the pedasure tastes. My son is a pretty picky eater and I've had good luck with the herbalife shakes and chewable vitamins. And since I'm one of those crazy moms - this product doesn't contain artifical sweeteners, flavors, or colors. It makes me feel good about what I give him. Good Luck!

My son is also 9 almost 10. He is about 48 inches tall and about 50 lbs. He is a very picky eater but will eat plenty of what he likes. He just has a thin build. His doctor is not concerned, he says that his growth is consistant for him. I do try to sneak him protien drinks and he catches me every time. I give him peanut butter everyday for protien, he loves bacon, pasta, and wheat bread. Lately he has been enjoying apples and yogurt. All I can do is make sure there is something available that he will eat. His twin brother weighs 18 pounds more. They just are who they are.

When my son was on the small side we took him to an endocrynologist and he suggested to let him have as much ice cream as he wanted. My son also loves the Carnation Instant Breakfast drinks made with whole milk. You can serve it cold or heat it up for hot chocolate. You can even make a shake out of it, too. That way we were sure he had all the vitamins and minerals he needs with the extra calories to help him plump up a bit. Now that my son has hit puberty he has filled out nicely. I wouldn't fret too much but give your son some freedoms where the grocery shopping is concerned. Let him pick out a few things that he will eat a lot of. Be prepared for the tastes to change every so often but eventually he will catch up. Make sure he's getting lots of protien, too. That helps build muscle vs. junk food building fat.

Good luck - S.

Hi S.,

Kids typically won't allow themselves to starve unless they are sick. Do you ever notice a time when all he wants to do is eat? Because ususally that means they are having a growing spurt. I just went to this website for you to see where he was on the chart and he appears to be just fine. I know there are other sites to go to but this was just one of the many that I went on. Give it a try, hopefully it will put your mind at ease. Also if you want him to gain a little bit of weight but still stay healthy, I would suggest maybe if he likes fruit and or veggies allow him to use a dip for the extra calories. Or maybe some type of smoothies, shakes etc. I hope this could help a little, feel free and email me if you would like some more websites. Also keep me posted. I wish you luck and I think he will be just fine.

Take Care,
S.

http://pediatrics.about.com/cs/usefultools/l/bl_kids_cent...

My son is about the same as yours except he is a good eater. The pediatrician is also not concerned and neither am I. He is on his own curve for height/weight ratio and will never be big but that is okay. He was merely blessed with a high running metabolism and a love for fruits and vegetables as opposed to sugary snacks. Wish I had the same problem. The more you single him out, the more he will feel self-concious.

Oh Golly S. .. You sound JUST like me 10 years ago!

My son was in size 4T starting Kindergarten. He reached 50# FINALLY when he was 10!!

He was never overally tall for his age, but always wore SLIM pants and even then seemed big because I would have to get the next size for length and even with slim, he had to wear a belt.

Today ... he is 18! He is 5'11" and about 135# .. VERY slim!!

I battled my weight my entire life and he always seemed too thin. The Doctor always told me he was fine. He was a "normal" weight for his age. I think we see so many kids in school that are heavier and think it to be normal, when they are overweight and we don't realize it.

My son wears a 27 waist pant (Cant find them!!) and 34 inseam .. ALL LEGS! But he is 18, healthy and active (still) and his brain works far BETTER then mine .. it tells him when he as eaten enough.

His doctor says "This is how a young man his age SHOULD look" .. I feel so much better knowing we didn't force him to eat more and give him a eating disorder to fight the rest of his life. Your son will be fine too, I am sure.

If your doctor said he is fine, then listen. Your son will eat when he is hungry and quit when he is done.

Mine sometimes eats so much now, I don't know where he puts it all .. but he burns it off and nothing sticks ..

I hope it gives you some relief to know that someone else walked in them same worry shoes!
My advise .. No Pedia anything and no shakes (except an occasional MILKSHAKE!)
Let him enjoy being an active boy that wont be teased about being overweight!!!