Helping 8 year old gain weight????????

Question

My son has always been small for his age. At 8 years old he's 50 inches tall and about 55 pounds.He eats really good and is healthy but dosen't put the weight on. I've asked a doc and she told me to add butter to everything and give him really fatty foods but there is heart problems on both sides of the family. It drives me crazy because I'm always hearring god don't you ever feed that boy and send him to my house I'll fatten him up.I have 2 other children that don't have this problem.

Do you have any healhty ideas?

Answer 1

Lots of Avacadoes, olives, nuts and seeds

Answer 2

I wouldn't say he was drastically underweight.   It wouldn't hurt, though, to try to help him overcome his pickiness, so he will eat a more nutritious variety of foods.  

Here are some healthy choices that have a greater concentration of calories, and some with healthy fats:

Peanut butter

Homemade macaroni and cheese (not the boxed stuff)

Dried fruits (raisins, apricots, etc.)

Hummus (makes a wonderful dip!)

Homemade chicken nuggets

Homemade oatmeal raisin cookies

Cheese and whole grain crackers

I wouldn't worry too much about his weight, though.  If he's healthy, he's just fine the way he is.

Answer 3

I can't believe your doctor suggested that you add butter to all his food--even without a family history of heart problems, that's extremely dangerous! Granted, butter is slightly healthier than trans fats and hydrogenated oil, but it's still not good for you.

A much healthier option would be to cook all of his meat and vegetables in olive oil. Olive oil is very good for the brain and contains healthy fatty acids, as well as being high in calories.

Other healthy high fat foods include nut products; nuts are high in calories and have many of the same benefits as olive products. Let him eat peanut butter on bread, apples, crackers, pretzels, whatever. Sprinkle almonds, cashews, or walnuts on his cereal, and try to get him to try trail mix. Toast nuts and use them to liven up casseroles and fruit desserts.

You could also try avocado, but your son might not like it. If you can get him to try avocado, rock on; it's very good for you. Coconut is another thing to try; it's the only fruit that has saturated fat in it.

Even if you want him to gain weight, don't load him up on meat and dairy products--that will only spell trouble down the line. That stuff is good in moderation, and in moderation only.

Also, are you sure he isn't diabetic, or have some other health problem? He could just have a really fast metabolism, or there may be some underlying health issue that needs to be addressed.

Answer 4

If he'll drink pediasure, you can try that.  You can also sprinkle wheat germ on his food. It is hard.  I've been in this situation with my daughter, she had to have a feeding tube in order to gain weight.  It is hard when they say use real butter, but most of the family doesn't need real butter.  People don't realize that when you are trying to gain weight and can't it is just as hard as when you are trying to lose weight.  They also don't seem to think their remarks are as hurtful.  Most people wouldn't tell you that you need to stop giving your kids sweets because they are too fat, but they think nothing of offering to fatten them up for you. I would just encourage him to eat, and fix him stuff he likes.  And keep in touch with the doctor.  I'm sure if he doesn't start gaining he'll want to run test to rule out any problems.  Good luck.

Answer 5

Theres a difference in fats, just like how they talk about the trans fats for adults.  Something like butter, with the real fats is actually healthier for your body, because it understands it, than the synthetic fats that potato chips are fried in.

http://www.med.umich.edu/umim/clinical/p...

Also look at things like avacodos - if he'll eat guacomole on chips, nuts, beans, etc.

Answer 6

Some people are meant to be smaller than others.  My daughter just turned 12 last month - she is 52-inches tall & weighs approximately 58 pounds.  She is the smallest child in her class but at the same time she is the smartest & never gets sick.

I am 63-inches tall & weigh under 100 pounds.  I eat good but constant on the run.  I also never get sick.  

Some people need more weight on them & others do well with less weight.  If the person is healthy, there should be no concern.

Answer 7

What makes you think he is small? Did the doctor tell you he was in the bottom of weights for kids his age?

He is right smack in the middle of the growth chart at about the 50th percentile. So he is about average for his size.

If he were 50 inches and 40 pounds then he would be underweight.

Boys that age have one of the lowest body fat percentages that they will have in their lives---only boys a little younger have less. That is probably why he looks small to you---or maybe you are comparing him to another child who is just built larger.

Answer 8

There is a drink called Ensure it is used in eating disorder clinics and such.  It is a healthy way to gain weight that does not threaten his heart

good luck

Answer 9

Don't add butter to everything.  It's very high in cholesterol.

My little brother is the same way.  He is 10 1/2 years old and only barely weighs 63 pounds.  We've taken him to the doctor and they've said that he's underweight but healthy otherwise.  

He was 60 pounds just recently but we started giving him a lot of meat and having him drink Pediasure and we give him snacks ALL THE TIME so he gained 3 pounds.  It's not much but it's progress!

My little brother is also a picky eater.  But when we find something he does like we just buy a lot of it.  Like for example: He really likes yogurt so we give him that for his evening snack,  he likes pasta so we make spegetti a lot, he likes peanut butter sandwitches so he eats that a lot for lunch.  

Pasta and peanut butter are high in fats but they are also good for you.

Just find out what your son likes and give him a lot of snacks to eat throughout the day.

Answer 10

Leave him be. For years I was only like 4 and half stone. If he is natually skinny, he is naturally skinny.

Im 18 and only 98 pounds.

As long as it isn't damaging to his health then whats the problem

Answer 11

I have two boys; a 6 and almost 8 year old. My eldest son has always had a hard time gaining weight and at one time we thought he had an eating disorder. He was really picky and would have weird behavior eating that started at 2.

The pat of butter was also advised to us but I have to tell you, it's not the healthiest way and it really doesn't work. Fatty foods are not going to do anything besides making him acquire a taste for bad, unhealthy foods and potentially health issues later on in life. Give him a balanced diet, with extra proteins like peanut butter or good saturated oils in pastas. This diet should be minimal on the sugar side. Things like candy and soda are bad nutritional fillers and there are better ways for your son to absorb nutrition. My son had an adversion to meat from age 4-6 and he did eventually get over it.

My son is barely 50 lbs and I don't think he is 50 inches yet. However, he is healthy and I can see that he is gaining weight slowly and muscle. The trick to getting a child to eat more is to increase their activity. If you get them involved in weekly activities, they will usually be famished by the time they get home and will want to eat a horse! This will initiate a schedule for them where they expect larger meals more often. Weight gain is good with a balance of fat and muscle at this age.

Healthy, balanced diet + activity = weight gain

Don't listen to "those other people"! They probably have children with larger bones and wouldn't understand your child's gain issues. When they talk, just put a deaf ear on.

Answer 12

I can't believe a doctor suggested adding butter to all his foods.  There are healthier foods that are higher in fat and calories, that won't kill him in 35 years.  Avacados, bananas, whole milk cheese, fruit yogurt, milk shakes, nuts, peanut butter, coconuts, breads, french toast, etc.

Answer 13

If he's healthy, I seriously wouldn't worry about it.  Being small is not necessarily the same as being unhealthy.Actually, the BMI calculator says your son is a healthy weight for his height.  http://www.keepkidshealthy.com/welcome/b...

My 7-year-old boy weighs 42 pounds.  He's in first grade and smaller than any of the kindergarteners or girls.  He's healthy as a horse.  He hardly ever gets sick, and is one of the strongest and fastest kids in his grade.  He eats nutritious meals, and has undergone all kinds of testing to make sure his slow growth isn't caused by some underlying disease (it isn't).  His doctor is totally unconcerned, and so am I.  Some people are just destined to be small.  No big deal.

Answer 14

i have 5 kids, my 2 girls have the same problem and i can completely relate with the heart concerns..

with my girls i was reccommended to give them pedi-sure and more smaller snacks/ portions by a nutricianist.

my 7 yr old will be 8 and weighs less than ures.

and my 12 yr weighs like 65lbs.

they have wheat pastas,and i make it with a hm made sauce that is richer in cal but not with sat fats, add in some of their fav vegies, and make sure they have atleast 2 pedi-sure drinks a day..

so far its working, they are gaining weight slowly and maintaining their weight, i should probly mention they are both very active with hgh matabolisums..

please try something along that line and hopefully it'll help.

they have a variety of diff flavors too and taste like a shake .. well thats what my girls say.. i hope it helps.

Answer 15

Don't try to fatten him up. Just make sure he eats healthy. His body knows what its doing and it sounds like he could just be naturally thin and have a high metabolism. If you start fattening him up now, it could really hurt him as he enters puberty. He could grow up and out alot and you don't want him in the habit of eating alot of butter and things that are nutritionally bad choices. My son is 8 and 63 pounds. To me your child sounds perfectly healthy.