Very slim 12 yr old son - advice on helping to fill him out a bit please

[HendricksandTonic]

My Year 8 son is tall (5' 8") and v slim for his age. He hasn't gone through 'full-on' puberty, so is a little bit behind on that front at school. He has had a hard time about being skinny from other boys, which he has learned to just ignore and deal with when it happens - little grot bags that boys can be!

Both his Dad and I are naturally tall and slim, so he is just one of us, but I just wondered if anyone out there has any professional or practical advice on how I could slightly amend/add to his diet to encourage extra muscle and weight? Or should I just let nature take its course...?

He eats quite a lot (I think - about as much as his 6' 3", not so skinny now, Dad) and eats a pretty varied and healthy diet.

I am relaxed about it, but thought I'd put it out there. Sleeping dogs lie? Or a few specific additions?

All advice greatly appreciated...

I don't think diet will make him change, only time and hormones. It sounds like this is just his natural shape. Diet would only make a difference if he was short of nutrients, but if you're happy that he eats a good range of foods that sounds very unlikely.

I have a 19yo 6 footer without an ounce of fat on him - some of them are just like that!

As long as he eats normally, I wouldn't worry. 4 out of my 5 DC are boys, and they are all slim as can be, yet I can hardly fill their boots up!

I'd just say it's the age! I do remember a time in my life when I could put away like they could and not suffer the consequences!

Thank you, both of you! You've confirmed my gut instinct - I know I was the same; but it's still good to get confirmation from nice people :-) Thanks. xxx

I agree it's just his build if you want to up his calories easily then switch him to whole milk and full fat dairy in general - lots of protein would help him too - just try to add in healthy calories - some fat in his diet will do him no harm either.

My son [11] is the same and some other boys have called him skinny in the past.

I tell him he is athletic and try to brush over it but it is a slight worry, but he is healthy enough and I just hope he can cope with the comments.

You are what you are!

My ds is only 6 but is much taller and skinnier than most boys in his class. He eats as much as me in a day, if not more. I honestly think if I fed him more it would make no difference and foresee him being a hollow legged gangly teen until over the age of 18!

Thanks girls :-) He is a very handsome 12 yr old (but I would say that,) and I just have to help build the confidence to shrug off the comments :D xxx

My ds is coming up to 14 now and very very thin (ribs sticking out, knobbly knees etc). He has always been tall (5'10" now) and very thin, when he was younger he was in the officially underweight category, but when he has had medicals the doctors have usually been pretty pleased with him. It's partly genes and partly because he is very active (in a fidgety sort of way).

He is a little bit self conscious about it, and for the last year or two has partially addressed it by wearing a lot of layers (I counted seven t-shirts, tops and hoodies on him once!) which obviously bulks him up a bit One thing I like is that now he is in adult sized trousers we can buy for his length without having his trousers fall down all the time, or all bunched up with a belt.

dh is also tall and was thin (not to such a degree) and for a while got very seriously into weight training which certainly bulked him up. Not recommended for pre-teens i think, but if you think your son might be interested then getting some professional advice might be one way to go. Generally being physically confident is important I think regardless of your shape - ds has really enjoyed doing martial arts this year.

There is probably little you can do until nature kicks in and he fills out, but in the meantime, if he likes to swim, that may be a good way for him to build muscle and gain confidence. Tall and slim is the perfect body type for swimming. My daughter is very slim and generally gains only 3 pounds a year. However, after her first year of advanced swim lessons, she gained 8 pounds (all muscle), which is a lot for an eight-year-old. Anyway, it's just a thought.

My eldest is very slim. I tried those meal shakes as an extra at one point. He didn't like being skinny. Its his build though. He is approaching 30 now and as skinny as ever, it still astonishes me the amount he can eat in one sitting!! Don't worry about it.