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General health

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Original poster

11 year old boy losing weight - how can I get more calories into him?

17 replies

mimsum · 19/02/2008 19:06

ds1 has lost 3 kilos in the last 3 months - and he didn't have much to lose in the first place

He's extremely active (competitive swimmer, runner, just started fencing, lots of sport at school) but doesn't have a particularly big appetite

any ideas as to how I can boost his energy levels a bit? he's started to flag during swimming training which is upsetting him, but doesn't accept there's a connection with the amount he's eating

he changed schools in September and has Tourette's Syndrome and suffers from anxiety which may be affecting his appetite as well - oh and he eats some fish but no meat

OP posts:

jangly · 19/02/2008 19:10

Can you get him to drink loads of full fat milk? Perhaps with nesquick or made into drinking chocolate.

Lauracorin · 19/02/2008 19:24

Smoothies are good. You can add in protein/weight gain powder (check it's suitable for children) with fruit, full-fat yoghurt, milk etc.

My sons' favourite recipe is a small amount of milk with a chopped banana (you can chop it and freeze it in advance if you like), some strawberries, a little chocolate syrup and some full-fat plain yoghurt. They don't notice the high-calorie powder I add in too. Eldest son (11) is around 4'11" and weighs 4 stone 10 lbs.

Laura

rachaelsara · 19/02/2008 19:29

Does he like chicken or is he a veggie?

Original poster

mimsum · 19/02/2008 19:38

he's a fish-eating vegetarian

he does like milk but he's refused to drink full-fat ever since they did 'healthy eating' at school in Y2 - he got a bit obsessive about fat and reading labels ...

is high-calorie powder tasteless then? I suspect I'd only be able to get it into him if he didn't realise

thanks for the ideas so far

OP posts:

geekgirl · 19/02/2008 19:42

yes, maltodextrin powder is virtually tasteless (v., v. slight sweetness, it's a type of sugar) and dissolves in liquids, and is absolutely packed with calories. Scary stuff! I have nightmares about someone slipping it into my food.

tori32 · 19/02/2008 19:59

Are you certain that he is eating the meals he has already? If he has such an obsessive nature and refuses to drink full fat milk then it is not entirely impossible for him to have an eating disorder. This coupled with the excessive sporting interests also suggests that he may have a disorder linked to body image, especially if he appears anxious. I am not saying this is definately the case, just that you should keep an eye on it. Investigate further. Also I would use full fat milk and cheese as much as possible in cooking. If you need to try putting full fat milk into a semi skimmed bottle IYSWIM.

snorkle · 19/02/2008 20:25

It's supposed to be quite important to stoke up on carbs as soon as possible after training and a bit beforehand (hard for early morning sessions) too. I know ds had some dietary advice on a county swim training day and that was the gist of what was said. They also stressed the importance of eating enough - would it be worth seeing if your area has a sports dietician who could talk to him? Could you ensure he always has a cake or cereal bar to eat before/after training? So that he gets used to eating a bit outside of regular meals too - that would help.

rachaelsara · 19/02/2008 20:40

I only mentioned chicken because mine all love a roast. My dd 12 is a veggie so I cook all the veg separate from the meat and do her a quorn thing.

I think if you cook his favorites, ask him what he wants, get him involved with shopping/cooking etc.

LardyMardyDaisyBoo · 19/02/2008 20:45

is there any other condition that may be causing the weight loss; like coeliac disease? 3kg in 3 months seems a lot for an 11 year old.

if not, and he's a fish eating vegetarian, can you get lots of fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, sardines etc into him? things like salmon pasta bake with lots of cheese would be good.

MERLYPUSS · 19/02/2008 21:18

My friends little lad was very picky with food and wouldn't eat much but could be persuaded to eat pasta. I made 'alien pasta' for him. Boiled pasta with chopped broccoli mixed in and dressed with full fat philadelphia cheese as a sauce. Not over flavoured if fussy. Try the herby cheese if you think he'll go for it.

Original poster

mimsum · 19/02/2008 21:19

oh god I've just looked up the symptoms of coeliac disease (always fatal, I know, looking up health stuff on the net ...) but as well as the weight loss he's very tired and irritable at the moment - he's got big dark circles under his eyes too

he's at the GP next week to get his ear checked out after series of ear infections (disastrous time of year for a swimmer ...) so will try to ask without sounding like neurotic hypochondriac by proxy ...

in the meantime, salmon pasta bake sounds good and I will try sneaking full-fat milk into him

OP posts:

rachaelsara · 19/02/2008 21:26

Blardy hell! I miss-read that about coeliac disease, I'm one and I thought for a minute coeliac is fatal!

LambethLil · 19/02/2008 21:38

mimsmum!...."coeliac disease (always fatal".... that will have startled a few MNers.

rachaelsara · 19/02/2008 21:52

I was writing my will!

Original poster

mimsum · 19/02/2008 22:42

sorry ... it was all in the tone of voice which of course doesn't come across on a forum ...

OP posts:

MicrowaveOnly · 19/02/2008 22:47

I remember as a kid I used to have complan..what happened to that. It was great to build up kids after they'd been ill.

Tiggiwinkle · 20/02/2008 08:15

Minsmum-it would be worth asking about testing for coeliacs. My DS5, just 9, was diagnosed just before Christmas. He also has Asperger's and a very restricted diet, and it has always been very diificult to keep the weight on him. Now he is on the gluten-free diet his appetitie is much improved and he is putting on weight.

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