Weight & Eating Problems
Failure to thrive refers to a child's inability to gain weight and grow as expected for kids of the same age and gender. Most diagnoses are made in the first few years of life.
People with the eating disorder anorexia are very afraid of gaining weight. They have unrealistic views of their body and try to eat as little as possible. They also might exercise too much or do other things to lose weight.
Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) is an eating disorder. Children who have it are extremely picky eaters and have little interest in eating food, which can lead to poor growth and poor nutrition.
Kids who eat unusually large amounts of food - and feel guilty or secretive about it - could be struggling with binge eating disorder.
Doctors use body mass index (BMI) measurements to assess a child's physical growth in relation to other kids the same age. Here's how to calculate BMI and understand what the numbers mean.
People with the eating disorder bulimia often eat large amounts of food over short periods of time (binge eat). Then, they try to prevent weight gain by doing things like exercising too much or throwing up what they ate.
Eating disorders are common among teens and kids, especially young women. Read about the warning signs, prevention strategies, and ways to help a child with an eating disorder.
A healthy and positive body image means liking your body, appreciating it, and feeling grateful for its qualities and capabilities. Parents can help kids develop a healthy body image.
Most kids grow well but some have ”failure to thrive.” This means they don't gain weight as expected and may not grow as tall as they should.
Indigestion is an upset stomach that most often happens because someone eats too much or too fast, or has foods that don't agree with them.
