Underweight DS?

[purpleroses]

Took the family to a university open day thing today, and had a go on the special scales that measure your body fat. DS is 14 and came out as 5.6% body fat. I've just looked online and it would seem the healthy range for a 14 year old boy is around 11-20%, so am a bit worried about him. His BMI is 18 - which is just about OK, though he's quite big boned and muscular, so I guess weighs actually a bit more than you'd expect for the amount of fat on him. Wondering if I should take him to the GP, or just try and feed him up a bit?

He's been growing upwards fast lately, is quite active, but gets tired sometimes - just falls asleep in the afternoon. He eats normally and I'm certain doesn't have an eating disorder or anything.

Phone appt with GP?

That's what I would do anyway.

Thanks - might do that. I spoke to him about the need to eat more last night - it's strange there's so much of a focus on healthy eating = losing weight/staying slim that DS really had no idea it was possible to be underweight. He's quite keen on the idea of eating more though and tucked into an extra sandwich at bedtime! Feel bad that maybe I've just been under-feeding him.

He's probably just hit the 'eating like a carb-disposal unit' stage. I thought it was urban myth until DS1 got there. Has he shot up?

Can't hurt to get a medical opinion on the desirability of 11-20% figure though. There might be all sorts of caveats and variables that apply.

Yes, he has shot up recently fideline - and was always quite thin to start with. I think he's just not in the routine of eating all that much, so maybe I just need to remind him, and make sure he knows it's OK to have extra sandwiches, etc. He can't eat all that much at once - he gets full up.

Yes that's why I did; extra sandwiches, extra bowls of cereal.

It would be nice if the dangers of underweight were given a few mins in the healthy eating curriculum though, wouldn't it?