Ispoorweightgainassociatedwithanyweakness?Areunderweightkidsweakascomparedtothekidswhohavehealthyweight?Readontoknowmoreaboutweightgainandgeneralhealthofkids.Foraparentseeingtheirkidsunderweightcanbeemotionallytraumatic.Oftenlowbodyweightoftheirchildsendsparentsintoapanicmodeandtheytrymakingtheirkidgainweightbyanyandeverymeans.However,feedinghighsugarhighandfatfoodisnotthesolutionanditisalsonotnecessarythatunderweightequalsweak.Itisimportanttobemoreawareofthereasonsofyourkidslowbodyweight.InthisarticleWhatisHealthyBodyWeight?HealthyandUnhealthyWeightGainWeightGainbyBalancedDietKindsofIdealFoodforUnderweightKidsSignsofWeaknessWhatisHealthyBodyWeight?Thougheveryagehasanidealbodyweight,inkidsthisidealtendstofluctuatewidely.Notallkidshavethesamebodystructure,equalmetabolismortheidealbodygrowthrate.Yourdoctorwillgiveyoutheageappropriateidealweightgoalforyourchildafterexaminingallotherfactorslikegeneralhealth,bonedensity,heightetc.Itisimportantnottoassumethatsomethingiswrongwithyourkidjustbecauseheorsheisnotasrobustlookingashisorherclassmatesorfriends.Beingunderweightcanalsobeduetosomebacterialinfectionorotherdeeprootedinternalproblem.Inthiscircumstancetherootcauseoflowweightshouldbeinspectedratherthanstressingonweightgainbyforcefeeding.HealthyandUnhealthyWeightGainManyparentsmistakenlytryfeedingtheirchildrenhighsugarandhighfatfoodinordertomakethemgainweight.Insuchcaseseveniftheweightgainhappensitisunhealthyfatgainandnotdesiredmusclemassgain.Alsothechildwillgetaddictedtoeatingthesehighsugarandhighfatfoodwhichmaygiverisetomanyhealthissueslateron.Itisimportanttosticktoahealthymealplanwhentryingtomakeyourkidgainweight.WeightGainbyBalancedDietTheweightgaindietshouldcompriseahighamountofstarchycarbohydratelikebread,potato,riceandpasta.Itisbesttochoosewholegrainversionsthantherefinedversionsoftheseitems.Theidealdietshouldcontainof5ormoremealsperdayastheingestioncapacityintermsofvolumepermealislowincaseofkids.Thedietshouldcontainamoderateamountofproteinfromhealthysourceslikeeggs,meat,pulsesandsoya.Aregulatedamountofdairyproductlikecheeseandwholecreamyoghurtshouldbeapartofyourchild’sdiet.Sweets,cakes,chocolatesandsugarybiscuitsshouldonlybegiveninsmallquantitiesatlongintervals.KindsofIdealFoodforUnderweightKidsIdealfoodgroupsforunderweightkidsincludenutrientdensefoodwhichcangiveahighburstofenergy.Somegoodoptionsarepeanutbutter,cheese,avocado,nuts(almonds,cashews,pistachios,walnuts)etc.Highproteinfoodgroupslikesoya,lentils,redmeat,eggsandfisharealsogoodfoodoptionsforunderweightchildren.Ahealthymixoffruitsandvegetablesisalsoimportantforstimulatingthemetabolismandmaintainingahealthydiet.Goodoptionsofsnacksarecrackerswithpeanutbutterandcarrotsdippedintemperedyoghurtmix.Organicgranolabarsandparfaitswithfruitsarealsogoodsnackoptions.Itisimportanttorestricttheconsumptionofliquids(includingmilkandjuice)tolessthan3glassesperday.Liquidscanfillupthestomachfasterandhaveanappetitesuppressingeffect.SignsofWeaknessIfyounoticeyourchildbeingunabletofinishnormaltasksandhavedifficultybreathingthenthereisprobablysometypeofinternalweaknessinthebody.Youneedtogetathoroughhealthcheckupdoneevery6monthsinordertodeterminetheexactreasonbehindtheweakphysiqueofyourchild.Thepointistotreattherootcauseoflowbodyweightandfindoutitslink(ifany)withgeneralweaknesses.Whetheryourunderweightkidisweakornotcanbedeterminedaftermedicalexamination.Ispoorweightinkidsacauseofconcern?Howtohelpunderweightkidsgainhealthyweight?Ispoorweightinkidsasignofhealthdisorder?Discusshere.
Is poor weight gain associated with any weakness? Are underweight kids weak as compared to the kids who have healthy weight? Read on to know more about weight gain and general health of kids.For a parent seeing their kids underweight can be emotionally traumatic. Often low body weight of their child sends parents into a panic mode and they try making their kid gain weight by any and every means. However, feeding high sugar high and fat food is not the solution and it is also not necessary that underweight equals weak. It is important to be more aware of the reasons of your kids low body weight.
What is Healthy Body Weight?
Though every age has an ideal
body weight, in kids this ideal tends to fluctuate widely. Not all kids have the same body structure, equal metabolism or the ideal body growth rate. Your doctor will give you the age appropriate ideal weight goal for your child after examining all other factors like general health, bone density, height etc. It is important not to assume that something is wrong with your kid just because he or she is not as robust looking as his or her classmates or friends.
Being underweight can also be due to some bacterial infection or other deep rooted internal problem. In this circumstance the root cause of low weight should be inspected rather than stressing on weight gain by
force feeding.
Healthy and Unhealthy Weight Gain
Many parents mistakenly try feeding their children high sugar and high fat food in order to make them gain weight. In such cases even if the weight gain happens it is unhealthy fat gain and not desired muscle mass gain. Also the child will get addicted to eating these high sugar and high fat food which may give rise to many health issues later on. It is important to stick to a healthy meal plan when trying to make your kid gain weight.
Weight Gain by Balanced Diet
The weight gain diet should comprise a high amount of starchy carbohydrate like bread, potato, rice and pasta. It is best to choose wholegrain versions than the refined versions of these items. The ideal diet should contain of 5 or more meals per day as the ingestion capacity in terms of volume per meal is low in case of kids. The diet should contain a moderate amount of protein from healthy sources like
eggs, meat, pulses and soya. A regulated amount of dairy product like cheese and whole cream yoghurt should be a part of your child’s diet. Sweets, cakes, chocolates and sugary biscuits should only be given in small quantities at long intervals.
Kinds of Ideal Food for Underweight Kids
Ideal food groups for
underweight kids include nutrient dense food which can give a high burst of energy. Some good options are peanut butter, cheese, avocado, nuts (almonds, cashews, pistachios, walnuts) etc. High protein food groups like soya, lentils, red meat, eggs and fish are also good food options for underweight children. A healthy mix of fruits and
vegetables is also important for stimulating the metabolism and maintaining a healthy diet.
Good options of snacks are crackers with peanut butter and carrots dipped in tempered yoghurt mix. Organic granola bars and parfaits with fruits are also good snack options. It is important to restrict the consumption of liquids (including milk and juice) to less than 3 glasses per day. Liquids can fill up the stomach faster and have an appetite suppressing effect.
Signs of Weakness
If you notice your child being unable to finish normal tasks and have difficulty breathing then there is probably some type of internal weakness in the body. You need to get a thorough health check up done every 6 months in order to determine the exact reason behind the weak physique of your child.
The point is to treat the root cause of low body weight and find out its link (if any) with general weaknesses. Whether your underweight kid is weak or not can be determined after medical examination.
Is poor weight in kids a cause of concern? How to help underweight kids gain healthy weight? Is poor weight in kids a sign of health disorder? Discuss here.
