Ds very skinny - is there anything he can take?

[NeverTalksToStrangers2]

My eldest ds is 14, about 5ft 6 and has been very skinny since he was a baby.

He started out quite big (8lb 9oz) but was regularly sick as a baby (nothing serious, just bugs, especially when cutting teeth (which he did very rapidly)) so by the time he was 9 months he was very slight and that has just continued.

He used to be a light eater but in the past 10 years or so, definitely not. He would easily eat 3 plates of dinner every night. I've seen him have 5 burritos in a row (when I've only eaten one). He inhales food.

His dad has been slim his whole life (not as skinny as when we met, but still nowhere near a dad bod at 46) so I think it's genetic. His ability to eat whatever the feck he wants is the biggest reason I'm overweight. 🙄

Anyway, I know my son would love to be a bit heavier and stronger. It gets him down that his wee bro is more athletic and I know others make fun of him for it it. I try telling him that he'll likely never be overweight and that's a great thing, but it's not much consolation. Does anyone know of any supplements or things he can take that are suitable for teenagers? This is something I've researched a few times but I end up more confused.

OP instead of Complan (which is quite expensive), we used this stuff with my elderly dad who had lots a lot of weight because he stopped eating - he has dementia and just lost his appetite.
I got the chocolate flavoured one and put it into a milkshake with full fat milk. You could also try adding banana and peanut butter to improve the flavour.

Anyway, it has loads of calories, plus vitamins and nutrients.

https://www.optimumnutrition.com/en-gb/Ireland/Homepage/Products/Weight-Gainers/Serious-Mass/p/serious-mass

If you massage his shoulders you feel bones.

This doesnt mean he's skinny though? This would apply to anyone of a healthy weight.

I'm a middle aged woman with a healthy BMI (mid range of healthy), and you can feel my bones when you massage my shoulders. I'm not skinny.

By all means encourage weight bearing exercise and plenty of protein, as those are good healthy habits for young people to get into. But from what you say he is in the healthy weight range, albeit these days it makes him more of an outlier than he would have been in the 70s. So I wouldn't describe him as 'skinny'.

I have a very skinny (but very active) teen who wants to bulk up for his sports. Main issue is stopping him fill up on empty (junk food) calories but he also had to be told he wouldn’t put on muscle mass hugely until he was through puberty. He’s always been lightly built but is just starting to visibly gain muscle (does lots of supervised gym with his club) aged 15.5.

The current popular aesthetic for men is much more muscly than it has been in years gone by, but that doesn't mean that it's healthy or desirable for all men to try to emulate that body. You say his dad is very lean - genetics are a huge component.

It is perfectly possible to be strong and fit for sports without being bulky - the strength/fitness should be the goal, not the bulk.