Underweight child lack of appetite

[emunah]

I have a problem with my son: he is unable to gain weight past year. He was always rather skinny, but now he just stays the same weight, he is 12. He also doesn't have a great appetite. I didn't notice any negative reactions to food, but he is definitely a super picky eater. I try to offer him as much protein as possible in form of meat, yogurt, cheese. I cook him his favorite food, as there are many foods he dislikes. I don't limit his sugar intake, and I give him orange juice or chocolate milk whenever he wants. He is overall healthy, only occasionally has some sniffles, but his weight is my constant worry.

 

[Tarmander]

Any mold exposure in the home?

 

[InChristAlone]

My son has been like this for yrs, barely gaining weight but is above avg height. He tends to live on sugary things but we have really been pushing the animal foods and it definitely helps. It is typically anxiety and worry that causes him to not want to eat.

 

[Rafael Lao Wai]

I have a problem with my son: he is unable to gain weight past year. He was always rather skinny, but now he just stays the same weight, he is 12. He also doesn't have a great appetite. I didn't notice any negative reactions to food, but he is definitely a super picky eater. I try to offer him as much protein as possible in form of meat, yogurt, cheese. I cook him his favorite food, as there are many foods he dislikes. I don't limit his sugar intake, and I give him orange juice or chocolate milk whenever he wants. He is overall healthy, only occasionally has some sniffles, but his weight is my constant worry.

How is his sleep? Is he constipated?

 

[emunah]

Any mold exposure in the home?

I don't think so. I am allergic to mold myself, I would definitely have symptoms if there was mold.

How is his sleep? Is he constipated?

He sleeps about 9-10h, his bedtime is about 9:30 pm, but he sometimes wakes up pretty early. He sometimes complains about constipation, but it doesn't seem to be very frequent.

My son has been like this for yrs, barely gaining weight but is above avg height. He tends to live on sugary things but we have really been pushing the animal foods and it definitely helps. It is typically anxiety and worry that causes him to not want to eat.

I was wondering if it's not purely in his mind, he, for instance, told me he doesn't want to be fat as his father is (we divorced and so his feelings about his father are rather complex). He is a perfectionist, but I don't think he is overly stressed. Maybe I am wrong.

 

[Rafael Lao Wai]

He sleeps about 9-10h, his bedtime is about 9:30 pm, but he sometimes wakes up pretty early. He sometimes complains about constipation, but it doesn't seem to be very frequent.

Does he take magnesium? Some magnesium bicarbonate water first thing in the morning helps to speed things up in the bowels, even without constipation. That could help with hunger.

Does he eat enough fat- containing foods? Whole milk, fatty ground beef, dark/ milk chocolate, butter etc.? Fat is really dense in calories, so it's easy to have a really calorie- dense meal that barely fills up the stomach if you go heavy on it.

As a last resort, you could give him cyproheptadine., That'll make him gain weight for sure, but it causes drowsiness and can produce a lot of body fat, and, for some, it lowers dopamine too much, so it's important to keep this in mind. I'd try to solve it though other means before using this drug.

 

[LucyL]

Sounds like me as a child. Didn't end well for me as an adult. Probably could have used some thyroid supplementation, but understandably not something people want to do with otherwise healthy kid. I would suggest focusing on things that lower cortisol - salt, salty snacks like nixmitalized corn chips, carrot sticks with a lot of salt to dip in, keep his calcium intake up as much as possible. Maybe be strict about his sleep - same bedtime every night and at least 8 hours thought 10 might be better at that age still. Milk with sugar before bed to keep the nighttime rise in stress hormones down.

 

[Peatness]

I don't think so. I am allergic to mold myself, I would definitely have symptoms if there was mold.

He sleeps about 9-10h, his bedtime is about 9:30 pm, but he sometimes wakes up pretty early. He sometimes complains about constipation, but it doesn't seem to be very frequent.

I was wondering if it's not purely in his mind, he, for instance, told me he doesn't want to be fat as his father is (we divorced and so his feelings about his father are rather complex). He is a perfectionist, but I don't think he is overly stressed. Maybe I am wrong.

12 years old is at the cusp of puberty. I recall becoming conscious of my body at that age. If your son has expressed a fear of getting fat that is a significant disclosure. I would begin by researching how to approach nutritional education for children. You may already be doing this. I don’t want to over step the mark by suggesting he has an eating disorder. However, his admittance of concerns about weight gain might be a clue as to why he is not gaining weight.

 

[emunah]

Does he take magnesium? Some magnesium bicarbonate water first thing in the morning helps to speed things up in the bowels, even without constipation. That could help with hunger.

Does he eat enough fat- containing foods? Whole milk, fatty ground beef, dark/ milk chocolate, butter etc.? Fat is really dense in calories, so it's easy to have a really calorie- dense meal that barely fills up the stomach if you go heavy on it.

As a last resort, you could give him cyproheptadine., That'll make him gain weight for sure, but it causes drowsiness and can produce a lot of body fat, and, for some, it lowers dopamine too much, so it's important to keep this in mind. I'd try to solve it though other means before using this drug.

I give him multivitamins for kids and d3. Thanks for the magnesium suggestion! As far as fatty foods, he actually likes dishes from ground beef so they are our staple. I also give him mashed potatoes with lots of butter, and he has unlimited access to high-quality Swiss chocolate. I am thinking about trying cyproheptadine because I am simply worried that it can negatively impact his puberty start and then his social life if other boys will grow much faster.

 

[emunah]

12 years old is at the cusp of puberty. I recall becoming conscious of my body at that age. If your son has expressed a fear of getting fat that is a significant disclosure. I would begin by researching how to approach nutritional education for children. You may already be doing this. I don’t want to over step the mark by suggesting he has an eating disorder. However, his admittance of concerns about weight gain might be a clue as to why he is not gaining weight.

I was thinking about it because he also displays some perfectionist tendencies, and I know that these two things are related. However, my gut feeling is that he just doesn't have much appetite, so anything that would ramp up his appetite would be great. Do you think niacinamide for his age makes sense? Or it is potentially dangerous?

 

[Peatness]

I was thinking about it because he also displays some perfectionist tendencies, and I know that these two things are related. However, my gut feeling is that he just doesn't have much appetite, so anything that would ramp up his appetite would be great. Do you think niacinamide for his age makes sense? Or it is potentially dangerous?

I would be inclined to concentrate on food rather than supplements. With supplements you risk introducing toxins. Perhaps get some blood work done. You doctor could run some labs to rule out anything physiological. Making food fun and eating together would really help. Perhaps cooking together? I say this because at 12 - 13 I developed some unhealthy ideas about food and I wish the adults around me picked up on it. He is lucky to have you.

 

[Beastmode]

I have a problem with my son: he is unable to gain weight past year. He was always rather skinny, but now he just stays the same weight, he is 12. He also doesn't have a great appetite. I didn't notice any negative reactions to food, but he is definitely a super picky eater. I try to offer him as much protein as possible in form of meat, yogurt, cheese. I cook him his favorite food, as there are many foods he dislikes. I don't limit his sugar intake, and I give him orange juice or chocolate milk whenever he wants. He is overall healthy, only occasionally has some sniffles, but his weight is my constant worry.

Salty foods might help as it can reduce stress hormones and spark appetite. Maybe some salty tortilla chips can be a good snack.

Overall, I would say the more he's apart of the food process (growing, shopping, cooking, putting the scraps in a garden, etc,) his connection with food will be stronger and most likely improve his appetite. My toddler refuses to play while I cook now as she has to be part of the process. It's a pain in the **** at times :), but is worth it.

 

[aliml]

22 Low Insulin Causes in Regular Carb Consumers - SelfHack

Do you have problems gaining weight or at risk for Type 2 Diabetes? You may have low insulin levels. Learn all the reasons why your insulin may be low.

selfhack.com

 

[PaRa]

Maybe just highish histamine

 

[Peatness]

Maybe just highish histamine

Great point

Antihistamine foods

• Pea Sprouts – Will provide the most natural DAO. You can sprout them yourself or buy them already sprouted
• Blueberries – Are little antioxidant dynamos that also stabilize mast cells
• Parsley – Is rich in Luteolin and Quercetin. Both are mast cell stabilizers and h1/h2 antihistamines. Parsley also boasts a good amount of Vitamin C, A, calcium, magnesium and potassium.
• Cucumbers – Contain good amounts of magnesium and potassium which both help stabilize mast cells.
• Pomegranate – Contains Ellagic Acid which is great for mast cell stabilization.
• Red Onions – have a good amount of Quercetin
• Apples – are rich in antioxidants and is an antihistamine. Apples also contain Quercetin and Vitamin C that combat mast cells and histamine.
• Ginger – is an H1 and H2 antihistamine, mast cell stabilizer, anti-anaphylactic and boosts DAO.
• Celery – is rich in Luteolin which Is another great stabilizer and anti-inflammatory food.
• Fennel – is one of the top foods for providing Quercetin and is also high in Magnesium
• Kale – is a good source of Vitamin C, Kaempferol and Quercetin. All notable antihistamines and mast cell stabilizers. It’s a powerhouse of nutrition too with lots of Vitamin A, B6, to help create DAO. It is also packed with iron, magnesium and calcium.
• Moringa – Packs a lot of nutrition, including iron, is an antihistamine, stabilizes mast cells, is an anti-inflammatory and is liver protective. It is a good source of potassium and high in vitamin C.
• Chamomile Tea – Is another powerhouse that boosts DAO. It is an h1, h2 antihistamine and mast cell stabilizer. It is very helpful in alleviating digestive issues and promoting relaxation

Taken from this website

Healing Histamine Intolerance: The Complete Guide (mummyandchild.com)

 

[redsun]

I was thinking about it because he also displays some perfectionist tendencies, and I know that these two things are related. However, my gut feeling is that he just doesn't have much appetite, so anything that would ramp up his appetite would be great. Do you think niacinamide for his age makes sense? Or it is potentially dangerous?

Perfectionist tendencies in what other avenues? Does the multivitamin worsen his appetite problem or make it better?

Probably your son is undermethylated (thus high histamine, lowering appetite), so niacinamide will make this worse since it steals methyl groups to be metabolized by the liver (thus less methyl to deactivate histamine).

He is only 12 so I would not give any regime for lowering histamine yet. Usually histadelic children grow up fine (I was one). They will stay skinny but he may not have hit onset of puberty. Usually once he does he will start growing no problem but will likely still be very skinny (wont hold onto much fat).

B-vitamins, copper, selenium, folate and folic acid will exacerbate high histamine problems (like low appetite) so thats why I asked about the multivitamin. Even though you think it will actually help get nutrients he needs it may be worsening the problem if the multivitamin contains those nutrients.

Only thing I would recommend would be not take the multivitamin just provide a lot of zinc rich foods (red meat, meat in general, dairy). Zinc helps control histamine and is effective at increasing appetite. Zinc, vitamin C, Vitamin E rich foods all help but overall you should feed your child a little bit of everything (I am sure you already do). Dairy, eggs, meat, fruits for vitamin C, starch, etc...

Try to avoid feeding him to many folate rich foods or folic acid fortified foods.

 

[Peatness]

This lecture is good on histamine, methylation, and zinc

Please, I am not suggesting your son is autistic I am posting this video because of the info on minerals

Dr Albert Mensah - Bio-Nutrient Therapy: An evidence-based model for autism recovery - YouTube

Of course not everything in this video is peaty

Ray Peat on methylation, learned helplessness. - YouTube

 

[emunah]

Thanks a lot for your kind responses. I will have to digest all this new information. I didn't think that multivitamins might add to the problem!

 

[mostlylurking]

I have a problem with my son: he is unable to gain weight past year. He was always rather skinny, but now he just stays the same weight, he is 12. He also doesn't have a great appetite. I didn't notice any negative reactions to food, but he is definitely a super picky eater. I try to offer him as much protein as possible in form of meat, yogurt, cheese. I cook him his favorite food, as there are many foods he dislikes. I don't limit his sugar intake, and I give him orange juice or chocolate milk whenever he wants. He is overall healthy, only occasionally has some sniffles, but his weight is my constant worry.

Sounds like he may have a thiamine deficiency. Underweight and lack of appetite are classic symptoms. Here's an article: How Dietary Mayhem Causes Disease: The Choked Engine Syndrome- Hormones Matter Hypothyroidism is also a possibility. Both block oxidative metabolism so symptoms overlap. Many cases involving children are cited in Dr. Lonsdale's book here: Amazon product ASIN 0128103876
View: https://www.amazon.com/Thiamine-Deficiency-Disease-Dysautonomia-Malnutrition/dp/0128103876/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=derrick+lonsdale&qid=1620480333&sr=8-1
It's an expensive book. However, Dr. Lonsdale has written articles that are posted here: You searched for lonsdale - Hormones Matter

More articles written by Dr. Lonsdale are here: Lonsdale D - Search Results - PubMed

 

[SonOfEurope]

After being relatively normal weight until 7.5 or 8... Became underweight at 9... Interestingly I know I was hyperthyroid as a little kid but something must have crashed at 8 years old, (I had a bit of a stressful childhood )....

My mom put me on low dose Cyproheptadine and I became a little hulk! It's normal, especially for a boy, to be "chubby" at 12, just before the Pubertal spurt slims you out with the big stretch at 13-15.

Is he nervous/stressed? Some kids are but don't complain... He should be eating plenty of fat solubles , more carbs than fat and protein combined, and playing out under the Sun all he wants.