Underweight

[Johnnypiratesfriend]

Inspired by another thread. Do you judge people who are underweight? What about small children?
One of my children visits a dietitian as they are on the 15th centile. He has a special drink.
If overweight people can be told to walk more and eat less. Can underweight people be told to eat more ( or drink a high energy shot) and calm the moving down?
I believe both groups are in need of emotional support and both group should be classed as eating disorders.
I'm not talking slightly slim people or people who have a couple of stone to lose. I'm talking massively underweight and morbidly obese.

Ver, very few parents underfeded their children but many, many overfeed them.

I’d be concerned about an obviously very underweight child (is 15th centile in that category?) I also imagine most parents of underweight children are very aware of it and trying to improve the situation whereas once again many parents of overweight children are unaware or in denial.

I can relate to this. DS does a huge amount of sport at a relatively high level, he's young for year and very slim (25th centile so not as small as yours). I saw some horrible messages on his whatsapp from some of his 'friends' calling him 'extremely starved' and that his 'mum doesn't feed him'. He wasn't overly concerned as he knows he's much fitter than any of them, but he has recently started working with a sports nutritionist (at the suggestion of his coach), to try and put weight on. He's becoming quite fixated on his food as a result. It turns out that actually, he has been eating about 1000-1500 calories a day less than he needs given his sports commitments and I feel pretty bad about that, although his situation is perhaps a bit unusual and without someone helping me, I'd not have estimated his calorie needs at c.3000 a day.

I wouldn't have thought a child on 15th centile is extremely underweight. Is he very tall in comparison? If not, I'd just think he was on the smaller side and not much else.

As far as I'm aware, I have never been judged for the skinniness of my daughter. She was on the 15th centile BMI at the Yr6 check. However... its only really in swimwear you see it... a thick hoody makes her look "normal". I did have trouble getting her new Scout uniform though... Smallest size they make is a Size 6. Its rather baggy.

She doesn't have a diet that different to her friends. But does seem to eat less overall. She stops when full, even if its her favourite cake or ice cream etc.

My Ds (13) is on the 2nd percentile. I know his friends call him skinny but I’ve never had an adult comment on it, aside from family, but that is more in jest. Everyone knows he eats well and know he just takes after his parents at that age!

My DS is 5th centile, looks perfectly healthy and doesn’t see a dietitian…I only know his percentile because he started adhd medication recently and it can act as an appetite suppressant, so we need to keep an eye. He just has two dinners instead of lunch

My dd is in the 5th percentile. She is 16 now and waiting for the results of a blood test, as she has lost 7lbs since xmas.
Like a pp, she has no interest in food and will leave cake, sushi and other favorites on the plate when she has had enough.
I am worried about her, we have no shortage of food, but she will sometimes skip breakfast and lunch. Not sure what I can do, we have lots of her favorite food in the kitchen, she just chooses not to eat. I can't force feed a teenager.