Skinny teenage son

[Boobyboo2]

New to MN and nervous first time poster!!
My 15 yr old son is approx 5’9 and looking fairly skinny. Always been a fussy eater with small appetite. Weighed him - 8st 13lb, checked BMI which is 18.5 and in the healthy range apparently. I wasn’t particularly concerned until my lovely mother pointed out (several times!) how tall and skinny he looks! Should I be concerned?! My anxiety is getting the better of me!

I have a skinny teenager too. I don’t worry about him. He eats plenty and is very active.
He’s six foot and nine stone-ish.

If you do the NHS BMI calculator it doesn’t give a BMI, it gives percentiles.

At 15 they have time to fill out yet.

Thank you, I guess I’m worrying because he doesn’t eat much at all lately as he’s so fussy!! He’s not overly active, plays basketball some lunch breaks but is addicted to his Xbox at home which doesn’t help! I have terrible anxiety so I am probably letting my mind run away with me. Guess I just wanted to hear there are other skinny teenage boys out there!!!!

Mine has just devoured a pepperoni calzone from the takeaway, three slices of garlic bread, and he’ll be back for a bowl of cereal later. It’s ridiculous!!

He’s just an ectomorph.

My DS is over 6 ft and you can pretty much see all the bones in his spine. But he eats like food is going out of fashion and my DH was also really skinny at his age.

My Dd's bf is tall and skinny, he eats plenty, just never seems to gain weight.

Do you think he is having issues around eating?

I have a tall, skinny DS. Went through a time when we couldn't get him trousers to fit. He was something like a 28/34 leg.

He eats well, and sometimes all the wrong stuff but I just think he's destined to be skinny and very tall.

That's 125lbs isn't it? That's what my 5'10" 15yr old ds weighs, and he's slim but with endless energy (total basketball addict!) Definitely not an unhealthy weight.

My 17 year old is just over 5'9 and 9 stone (he weighed himself only the other day). He is slim but doesn't look too thin. He certainly has 'meat on his bones' as his grandmother would say. Both my DC take after their very slimline father so I'm not expecting him to bulk up big time (unless he develops a gym habit), but would expect DS to fill out a bit by the time he's 20 or so.

I feel sure boys fill out later than girls so sure your DS will do likewise, OP.

My DS18 is 5'9" and weighs 9st 2lbs and looks incredibly skinny. The strange thing is he weighed that in year 6 but he was a chunky lad back then and I worried a little about him being overweight. He then started to grow upwards but didn't put on any weight. He can be quite a fussy eater but if you find something he likes - homemade chilli or a huge steak! - he will eat loads. I don't worry anymore😀

Thank you for all your replies.

@LovingLola - I’m not sure and I’m trying not to make a huge issue of it at the moment but think I’m failing at that with my anxiety getting the better of me!! He says he will eat when he’s hungry and I guess he does. Like I say he has always had a small appetite. He will consume vast amounts of chocolate and crappy fizzy sweets though with no problem!!!

He is hard to please with food as he’s so fussy. I’m doing the food shop tomorrow and going to try new dinner ideas!!

I feel slightly better hearing there are lots of other similar height and weight teen boys out there.

My teens are bmi 17 and 19 both eat well and very skinny I feed them what they like and are healthy on it. Both selected a chicken salad wrap and fruit, crisps for lunch. I try to aim for 5 a day.

Teenage boys are prime candidates for being tall and skinny beanpoles when they've grown upwards but not outwards, their metabolism is at its peak. More often it comes with a vast appetite like a dustbin - if he's a fussy eater would he supplement his diet with things like build up shakes? Whether complan or the "mass gainer" types marketed at body builders, so they're high protein and low sugar etc. Would he have decent higher protein snacks like boiled eggs or peanut butter sandwiches or cooked chicken, or have porridge or overnight oats for breakfast/late night suppers? Offer full-fat versions of things like milk, greek yogurt, cheese. Healthy fats like avocado and low sugar/salt nut butters on wholemeal toast are more good options, as are nuts/seeds generally.

There's a specific page of NHS guidance for underweight/skinny teenage boys www.nhs.uk/Livewell/teenboys/Pages/Underweightteenboys.aspx.

My ds is nearly 14. Over 5ft7 and only around 7 stone. He’s always been skinny but has a couple of health issues - nothing major but Drs keep an eye on his weight now.

Another one who has a tall and skinny DS16. He eats sausage rolls for breakfast! I only have to look at a sausage roll and will put on a stone!!

My 15 year old son used to be quite chunky but over the past 18 months he shot up and is very skinny now,.... I used to secretly worry he was getting chubby but now hes gone a bit the other way. Lost his lovely round bum! He loses his appetite when hes anxious and got worried about exams last year, I took him to the gp as he felt sick and hungry at the same time, gp said it might be recovering from a cold, lymph glands in stomach (?) And to come back in a month, he then put a bit of weight on so I just try and keep an eye on himn,he generally eats well at meals etc and lots of peanut butter on toast etc.

Could have written the same, my 17 year old is very skinny and doesn't eat properly. I did worry about eating disorders for a time but he is just lazy and would rather go without food than cook some pasta if he is home alone. Off to read that NHS info, thanks.

@parka, that’s me too! I try so hard to keep my weight under control. Meanwhile, kiddo’s eating me out of house and home.