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HELP WITH DS'S APETTiTE

7 replies

Jurysout2 · 23/08/2015 22:05

Ds11 has had some problems of a psychological nature recently and he stopped eating. He is now getting better and wants to eat but has zero appetite. A typical days diet would be 25g of cornflakes (from the little boxes) for breakfast. About 2 spoons of rice and a chicken drum stick for lunch. No supper. Sometimes there's no breakfast, just chicken drumstick in the afternoon. He will eat biscuits and fruit but gone of ice cream etc.

He has lost a lot of weight, and we are worried, he weights about 30kg. He desperately wants to put on weight and look more like boys his age.
I want to buy vitamins to to help increase his appetite but wondering if anyone has had this problem before and can recommend and something that will greatly boost his appetite.

I read an old thread and someone was talking about mascarpone but DS isn't really eating creamy things right now, no toast either.

Are there any vitamins or something I haven't thought of that can help?

We have seen GP but he just says his is within normal weight range albeit a bit slim for his age, and as long as he eating fruit, cereal etc he should be okay. Oh and he eats burgers, but we're not really a burger buying family, we tend to cook at home which makes things a bit tricky.

OP posts:
Littlefish · 23/08/2015 22:08

Could you make him burgers at home with good quality minced beef, just to try and get him back in the habit of eating?

AnotherTimeMaybe · 23/08/2015 22:08

Yes zinc deficiency can cause loss of appetite issues. Vitamin D deficiency could be as well but not very sure. If he doesn't t eat much there is a chance he doesn't have much zinc but the only way to tell is by blood test

Fwiw ds1 is on extra zinc and he eats like an animal!

Smartiepants79 · 23/08/2015 22:13

This sounds like a very restricted diet. The thing she you mention are they the only things he will eat? Cos I only count 5 things. You say psychological problems, does that include a possible eating disorder? I can't diagnose him obviously but I am very suprised that a doctor would consider that kind of eating to be normal.
Personally for the time being I would become a burger buying family. I would be buying anything that he will eat at all.
I would also be persuing some more support as this is not a healthy relationship with food.

Jurysout2 · 23/08/2015 22:26

Dis developed a fear of vomiting, linked to food. So food = vomiting.
We've been through the mill, and now he longer looks terrified at the mention of food. He really wants to eat, but said he can't just get the appetite and when he does, he fills full up so quickly.

I started making burgers at home but I think he likes the yucky McDonald's ones he just nibbles at them. Also he complains of constipation after a few days, obviously due to no veg intake. I just want my boy to be healthy strong and energetic, with round cheeks don't we all

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BarbarianMum · 23/08/2015 22:37

How much exercise is he taking? If not much then try and up it - it will stimulate his appetite.

I agree with the others - buy burgers. Try and increase the volume of his meals (a bit at a time) as it sounds as though his stomach capacity has shrunk (this happens very quickly).

Smartiepants79 · 23/08/2015 23:37

Why no supper? What about working on small portions but a bit more frequent. Are there textures that are better than others?
How much fruit and biscuits does he eat?
What were his favourites before all this started? Is it worth trying some to see ifhe can expand his choices more. It isn't very tempting if it's the same things every day, surely.
Hang in there it sounds like it may be a long road.
Have you tried looking for support forums that deal with eating disorders? There must be some.

Jurysout2 · 24/08/2015 00:17

He does lots of exercise, football, rugby and lots of running around, but towards end of term had to cut down as he tires easily, because he's not eating well.
Why no supper - he feels full up.
He eats lots of oranges and in apples, but mostly oranges, grapes as well if I buy them. I don't think these are particularly filling except the apples but he doesn't eat those everyday.
His favourites before it all started were Sphagetti bologna sea. Lashings of ice cream Grin pancakes for breakfast. Sausages and bacon, but he was never a big eater, but ate regularly. Was a strong slim boy.

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