Is DS weight gain normal?

[pumpkinnut]

My Ds who is 21 over the last 18 months has put on weight, he's gone from wearing small in everything to now wearing medium and from wearing 32 inch jeans to 36 inch. This has meant he's had to buy loads of new clothes and loads of his old clothes don't fit him any more. He's a bit annoyed as when he was 18 or 19 he received as a gift an expensive coat which he really liked which now no longer fits him as it's in size small and he needs medium now. Is this normal at his age, he hasn't grown in height I think but I didn't know whether weight gain is something that happens naturally for his age and to tell him not to worry.

Men do bulk up in their early 20s. So whether he needs to worry kind of depends on his height. Mens medium isnt that big - my teens wear it, but their waists are much smaller. Dh is 6'2" with an athletic build and has a 34" waist.

DH is a medium and has a 32 inch waist. I’m unsure how he could be a medium with a 36 inch waist? When DB wore that size he was definitely a L

DS is technically in between a 34 and 36 as the 34s are a bit too tight and the 36 inches are a bit big so he wears a 36 inch with a belt.

Did he increase his food intake during puberty and/or was he doing more exercise in his teens?

Is he drinking more beer?
Doing less exercise that when he was younger?

It depends on how he’s gained the weight. If he’s a big chap and has been weight training then he’d obviously gain weight and bulk up.

If he’s average height and has been eating poorly, drinking too much or taking little exercise then he’s probably going to need to reign it in unless he wants to be buying bigger trousers soon.

I do think that unless he’s very tall and well built that at 21 wearing a 36” waist is likely to be because he’s carrying too much weight. If he’s annoyed about it maybe he’d be receptive to learning more about healthy eating? Many people, men especially are pretty unknowledgeable about what constitutes a healthy diet.

I'd be more worried about the waist measurement than going up a clothes size. As pp have said, a lot of lads at 18 havent completely finished puberty/growing etc, in early twenties facial & chest hair can still be coming in and are often accompanied by more bulk in the chest/shoulders etc.but usually not so much on the waist. I'd guess drinking more/eating a lot of junk & processed food as that is usually what causes a bigger tummy.

My DS put on quite a bit of weight when he started uni/ going out drinking/ eating out more. Could this be the case with your son?

Boys do seem to bulk out when they get to 20/21, but a 36 inch waist is maybe a bit in the large side, but it depends on his height/ build really. Can you get him to calculate his BMI and check it's in the healthy range?