DS' BMI has gone down - should I be worried

[missmapp]

Hi,
I have noticed recently that Ds1's ( 11) trousers are getting loose on him so I weighed him tonight and he is 4st. He is in Year 6 , so was weighed at school in December and his BMI was on the 9th percentile. I have just weighed and measured him now and he is now on the 6th percentile. He hasn't been ill , so no real reason.

He has never had a huge appetite, but I haven't noticed him eating less recently, it is only his trousers falling down that made me check. Is it just he is growing up and not out- or should I check in with the GP ?

Any advice much appreciated.

Thank you

[TheAussieProject]

4 stone for an 11 y boy is not much at all and I think you are right to be concerned.

Try to keep a food diary of what he eats during the day. If writing it down is a pain and you think you'll stop after 4 meals, take a picture and keep them all in an album on your phone/ipad. Take a picture of every single thing. From breakfast to after dinner biscuit or glass of milk. This will help you understand how and when he eats.
Try to increase proteins with a steak on Monday, Chicken breast in Tuesday, Fish on Wednesday, .... For breakfast, try to offer a couple of boiled eggs with soldiers, and get rid of crisps if they are in the house or follies. Snacking in between meals reduces the amount you eat.

I would still book an appointment with a GP and maybe request a blood test to check his iron levels.

Apart from his trousers being more loose, how is he? Energetic, happy, skin color, worried ?

[missmapp]

Thanks TheAussieProject
He is pretty energetic and doesn't seem to be worried about anything, but they end of Yr6 is a tricky time I know.
He had a hosp apt recently for concerns over dyspraxia, he was weighted and measured their and no concerns were raised- in his red book he has always been on the 2nd percentile, but I will keep a check.

A food diary is a good idea, I will start that . I think I will check with the GP as well though, he cant afford to loose any weight . I was on complan as a child and hated it, I think that is what has stopped me, but I know I need to.

[scaevola]

The thresholds for children's BMI are not the same as for adults. Anywhere between 3 and 90 is the healthy weight range.

But as he is losing weight, that might need to be investigated to check whether there is an underlying cause for the loss (and finding out before he does dip into the underweight category)