How to Help Skinny Kids Gain Weight
Everybody is talking about childhood obesity. But what about underweight children? While the media mostly focuses on healthy foods for kids from the perspective of preventing weight gain (cut back sugar, watch fat intake, etc.), The Chicago Tribune published an interesting article today, explaining why more food is not the answer to getting skinny kids to gain weight. To the contrary, simply feeding your skinny kid more without finding out the real reasons for his thinness can set the stage for unhealthy eating habits, according to the article.
One professor of pediatrics cautions that there could even be behavioral issues behind a child being too skinny. Kids quickly figure out they can get a lot of attention from parents if they don’t eat.
Oftentimes, parents think their child should eat much more that they do in reality, because they way overestimate kids’ portion sizes. Your child’s stomach is about the size of her fist. That’s a helpful visual, isn’t it? Think about how little food that is on her plate!
Read more in ZisBoomBah’s exclusive series on SKINNY KIDS:
- Skinny kids: 12 possible causes
- Skinny Kids: Moms reveal issues they face every day
- Skinny Kids: How do you know your child is malnourished?
- Every Bite Counts: Boost meals for healthy weight gain
