Underweight 10yo boy.

[Danimirj]

Our beloved is in Y5, and is nearly as tall as Y6 boys (142cm) - however he weighs only 31Kgs [sorry I am metric only, have not learnt stones/feet/inches]

Body Mass Index of 14.88, even using scaled BMI its 16.23, its too low - should be nearer 50kg for his age.

DH calls beloved "Sidewinder" - snake and missile...both go swimming together twice a week.

We have seen dietician many, many times, and we cannot stand over him and ensure he gets 3000+ calories per day.

He is not a picky eater, except vegetables and cheese. Eats fish and chips once a week, ravioli, baked beans, sausages, ice cream, hot puddings, and hardly puts on weight.

He does not drink carbonated sugary drinks like Coke, Pepsi, Fanta - loathes flavour. Drinks mostly water and milk.

We are mystified. Brain and mouth cannot use up so many calories alone surely.

Don't worry OP, he sounds fine.

My DS1 is year 4 but is also v tall for his age. Last time I weighed and measured him he was 145 cm and just under 31kg, so very similar to your DS. He's not underweight - he's 17% on the children's BMI scale, but that's in the green bit. It's not the same scale as the one used for adults.

My DS1 eats loads and is very active. He is fit and healthy, just lean.

Here's a link to the BMI calculator. Your DS is a healthy weight.

Leave him be ! Some of us are just naturally underweight. All the pressure to gain weight will make him believe there is something wrong with him !

As long as he is otherwise healthy it doesn't matter.

He's in the healthy weight category for his age. Not everyone can sit on the 50th centile... or it wouldn't be the 50th centile

Thank you. My DH was as skinny as him at same age. Both he and beloved son were/are self-conscious about it.

Perhaps I worry too much. DH tries to persuade him he's OK.

We've given up trying to feed him any vegetables besides broad beans.

A friend had a lot of trouble from her HV over her ds's weight when he was little (tall for age and v, v slim) until one day friend's dh did the visit instead. Her dh is 6' 4" and a very fit beanpole.

HV's jaw dropped apparently and she gave no more trouble about the ds's perfectly healthy and inherited build

Well ds2 is 15, 6'2" and is only 49kg - there is not an ounce of fat on him, he's below the first centile and is absolutely fine

Dh is also v tall and slim so it's perfectly normal for him

I really wouldn't worry

Does your DS have enough energy? Does he appear healthy? If so then i wouldn't worry too much although you might want to try and sneak a few hidden vegetable into his diet? Have you tried him on fruit milkshakes or smoothies?

I've also got a skinny 10 year old DS who's currently off the bottom of the centile chart. But i know he's ok as he's running and cycling twice a week plus swimming and PE at school.

Does your DH talk about his weight in front of him? Maybe that's what is making him self-conscious?

11yo ds was weighed a part of the weighing programme last year. He was 135cm and 25.3kg and on the 1st percentile for BMI. He eats like a horse but doesn't seem to get any bigger. We did get a letter after he weighed telling us he was skinny but the dr doesn't think it's as issue unless he doesn't grow during puberty. He swims, which may be an issue, but we feed him when he gets out of the water.