Kid not eating

[tet]

Has anyone tried giving appetite stimulants to their kids? My 2yo just won't eat and drinks too little milk. Any tips welcome. Thanks

[elle]

What do you mean by appetite stimulants? If you are talking about any kind of drug/ herbal supplement that is a horrible idea. If your child is losing weight from the appetite loss you should definitely take him/ her to a doctor. Little things, a cold for example, can cause appetite loss for a couple days but any longer than that, or if you are concerned about dehydration from not drinking, really see a pediatrician.

[carang]

i agree! i think giving a child something like that at only 2 years of age could have LONG reaching consequences.

when you say, "just won't eat" what do you mean? do you mean doesn't eat everything you give him? does it mean eats two bites then says he's full? does it mean on some days eats more than others?

it is highly unlikely that your child doesn't eat. he just may not eat as much as you'd like him to.

my 5 year old is a picky eater, but after a lot of persistance on my part will now at least try most things. there are some favourites that we never have to argue about:
fish & chips
salmon sashimi
spag bol
prawn cakes
chicken skewers
cheese sandwich
ham sandwich (or ham & cheese)
cheesey macaroni
white rice
siu yuk
cha siu bao
steamed prawns
lobster noodles (the kind that comes with cheese lobster)

sometimes kids will LOVE something one day and then HATE it the next... you just gotta roll with it. don't offer anything else... eventually your child will eat.

no child will starve themselves.

ps. my 5 year old son is only 1 lb heavier than my 3 year old daughter.

[shuchisingh]

1. show him to a doctor if the appetitie loss is consistent and prolonged.
2. try try try different foods... kids get bored plus their tastes change very often.

[Frenchy]

It's very usual for kids this age to become picky... not all kids, but some ! mine is one of them, and it seems that some days he just does not eat anything at all !
We have decided not to stress at all, he eats the quantity he wants, but we don't propose anything else.
It also depends if he is teething, has a cold, a little it of fever... appetite comes and goes.
If yours still have the energy to play around, then he is probably doing good.

[TheQuasimother]

Mine is 4 now and he hasn't "eaten well" for a very long time. He will not touch any meat with the exception of German sausages (which obviously he can't have everyday!) No matter how hard we've tried to hide it. No seafood either. He's strictly vegetarian but will consume his milk and eggs.

We've not given him any supplements. He seems fine. So don't worry too much about it.

*Note - He won't drink all brands of milk. It's got to be Australian. It tastes the same to me but not to him.

[geomum]

Get your child to do plenty of exercise and make sure he/ she poops everyday. Lack of either can lead to poor appetite.
Eat with your child, it makes a difference if he/ she sees you eating the same food.
Don't offer snacks in- between meals or as a substitute (This does not hold true for children with a good appetite)
Try different flavours in the food, try adding mild spices. Identify which time of the day your child is most hungry and feed him proper meals at that time.
Appreciate your child when he/ she does finish his meal. Offer dessert at the end of the meal. Kids do eat when distracted either by toys or tv, so if its acceptable try either.
Change the venue of the meal, take it outdoors to the park or play area.
Invite a friend whose child eats well and make them sit together to eat, makes a big difference when they see another child eating, they might too. Don't compare them but just make sure you child is aware of the other one eating.
Before running into the conclusion that he/ she does not like a certain food try it at least 20 times.

[tet]

Thank you for the inputs, appreciate it. Some people have suggested giving artificial (drug) appetite stimulants and I'm not so sure if I should do it or not. And you are right, since he is perfectly healthy, why mess with that? I guess I was just unnecessarily stressed about my son not eating as much and the way he used to. He's only eating 50% of what he used to eat before even after all those tried and tested and new distractions and tricks. I hope it's just a phase and he'll get back to liking food again in the future. I will try some of your ideas and think of more.