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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I’m sorry but if your ped told you increasing calcium will make him taller, then you need a new ped. This would only be the case if your son had had a severely restricted diet for a few years and then moved to a normal diet. [/quote]\

Also thought this was weird and sounds like old wives' tales.[/quote]

Op here. DS was in weekly feeding therapies for a few years because he has low weight between age 2 to age 5. He still has a restricted diet that he does not eat vegetables, limited textures, a lot of junk food and carb, a little bit milk, some meat and some fruit. He does not have a balanced diet, and I have to give him multi vitamin gummies that he does not even take daily. If I force him to eat some food or texture, he will gag and vomit. That is why pediatrican wants him to cut sugar and take more calcium. [/quote]

Op, my child was severely underweight for about 5 years, from ages 5-10, basically growing (slowly ) while not gaining weight. BMI dropped from 4% to the very, very low end of 1%. DD did feedingtherapy, saw a nutritionist, and we did weekly weigh ins and home and monthly at the doctor. Also a picky eater, and got most calories through high calories smoothies/shakes because did not ingest enough food (or eat enough variety) to otherwise maintain weight.

So I’ve been there. I was delighted when DD gained a bunch of weight at age 10 to get to 2% BMI and now at 5% BMI. She gained about 30 lbs in 2 years (grew about 5 inches) and finally looks normal but slender.

Food and calories was a constant conversation in our house for many years - mostly that she needed more calories because her body needed more fuel. But as she got to normal weight we transitioned her meals - milkshakes stopped, dessert portions got smaller, I didn’t push snacks or food, and she stopped having sugary drinks - and we discussed how she was no longer trying to gain weight so we were changing out eating habits because her body didn’t need as many calories. She is still a picky eater, only eats one vegetable (under pressure), and mostly carbs, but since she is young I can still monitor most of her meals and make sure she doesn’t overeat. If she is still hungry after she eats a reasonable portion of lunch or dinner, she can fill up on fruit, but she rarely will unless she is really hungry.

At some point, it seems you let your child eat whatever and however much they wanted, perhaps out of fear they would remain underweight. But they aren’t, and you need to adjust how your child relates to food.

Food therapy is no longer recommended after age 8, instead your DC can work with a therapist to introduce new foods (ask about this when looking for someone - we found a few who did, although many do not). You probably know all the strategies from the food therapists - it’s the same, you just have to be consistent.

Also, if it’s helpful to have someone else to “lead” in developing a new diet, work with a nutritionist to develop a food plan. They don’t have any silver bullets, but then you have a professional telling your child stuff like “cut sugary drinks”, etc, and you can just blame them if your child gets upset. [/quote]

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