Son Won't Eat, Its Becoming a Big Problem...

Hmmmm, sounds like he is wanting attention, or a power struggle
What I would try is the next time you go grocery shopping have him help you make the list and pick out the food at the store. I do that with my two kids and it really seems to help. Because I think they feel more involved with the whole process.
Even have him help make dinner, or have him choose what will be for dinner.

Good luck!! I know it's super frustrating, but be patient with him.

My son went through a stage were he didn't want to eat. I had later found out he was constipated and was too "full" to eat. That might be one thing to look into.
If he is not constipated, see if you can get him to eat powerbars or something like that. It will help get some calories and nutrients into him. A couple of good ones would be pro bar and balance. Good luck, Stephanie L.

You have the potential for a real power struggle on your hands with this, you really do need to back off and not worry. Your Dr. said not to; believe him! There are a handful of things you cannot force another human being to do, among them are eating, going to sleep and using the toilet. Total potential battle-ground set up. I'll bet if you make food available to him and go about your business with no comments apart from 'not hungry today, huh? I guess that's your choice!' when he decides he won't eat, he WILL eventually eat. The longer you've been pushing him, the longer this could take. But please, RELAX! He will eat! Remeber you have nothing to lose by trying this, as he is already not eating. It may take days for him to come around. But he won't die! I have both a friend and a SIL who made battles of meals and never did back off. Today, they both have teen sons who STILL fight that battle with them! I have known numbers of others who backed off and had great success. I know this is tough, watching your child do this. Hang in there!

POWER STRUGGLE!! :)
Try to ignore it with no comments. He seems to want your attention for it for some reason. If he gets absolutely nothing from doing it (not even negative attention), then he'll just have hunger pains. Not fun to live with that.

I have a seven year old that is 44 inches tall and weighs 43lbs! I know what having a thin child is like and she too will come home with half a lunch box full still of stuff. Yes not being overweight is awesome for children with the diabetes going on and the health issues. I know my daughter is taking in the calories she needs though at some point during the course of a day.

My daughter is one that if she is hungry, SHE CAN EAT! Typically on the walk home she finishes her lunch, then wants a snack when she gets home and is very hungry at dinnertime. We have read books about why your body needs healthy food and what you need to have energy to do the things she likes. She really got into learning about the body and how things work. She will even limit herself if she had a junky snack and say "that is all I need today for junk". So educating instead of nagging can help. Have his Dr sit him down and talk to him. If he is into a sport, have the coach talk to him about how important eating and staying fueled up can be. I can say if you see it is for attention, try carving out special time for him each day, say nothing about the food. Even boys can get eating disorders so pay close attention what the reasoning is,

One rule I have, you don't have to finish your meal, but do not ask me for anything later. If they ask later, dinner is in the fridge and will get reheated.
Try taking him to the store and allowing him to choose his snacks and lunches.

We just started doing wraps, at my daughter request and she loves them. Yesterday I got a tortilla, put honey mustard and turkey and cheese and she ate her lunch for a change!!!! She had favorites then gets tired of them, so I let her try new favorites. Same with my four year old son. I think they get tired of what they liked and need things changed.

You cannot force a child to eat, as long as on the side he isn't getting desserts or junky stuff without eating healthy first then I would make sure he is getting a daily vitamin, maybe try protein smoothies, milkshakes with extra vitamins and getting the nutrition he needs. My kids loves smoothies for breakfast and with enough fruit and yogurt and all that they are very healthy way to start the day off. If his Dr isn't overly worried and he isn't lethargic or grumpy due to not eating then I wouldn't worry.

If he truly isn't hungry then what can you do?
If he is just picky then that is another thing.
Have you thought of going to school one day and having lunch with him? I know that was an eye opener for me, kids are socializing, in a hurry to get out to recess which is why I think my daughter isn't eating so much, she is too busy worrying about getting to recess with her friends. I go eat lunch with her at school maybe once a month. It helps you gauge what is going on, why he may not be eating and how things are run in the cafeteria. Would he prefer to get hot lunch on occassion at school?

I also let my daughter pick what she is going to pack for lunch. That way it was her choices and she is more apt to eat it. Good luck, I hope things change for him and you.

Maybe visit a specialist in child behavioral psychology -- those are the ones who help us with habits like fear of flying, smoking, etc. Perhaps he has simply developed a thought pattern as it pertains to food that can be alleviated by visiting a psychologist a few times.

My son is 4 and he is the same way. He only eats when he is truly hungry, the rest of the time, he doesn't. He will say he isn't hungry, and I say just take 1 bite and you can be done. He will at least do that for me. When he eats is when he goes through a growth spurt, other times he doesn't. What I do is make sure he takes vitamins every day. At Fred Meyer in the health food section they have some gummy bear vitamins, I buy those and give them to him. He has always been healthy and I just try not to worry about it.

I know this may sound extreme, but instead of packing a big lunch for him, just put in enough to make him hungry when he gets home. Maybe he is enjoying someone elses lunch. He dosn't sound like he is starving. My son is 14 and weighs only 70 pounds. Make sure he gets at least one or two fresh fruits or vegis in his lunch. When he feels in more control of his life, he will do better.

S.:
I have the same scenario with my 8 year old son (youngest). He is so tall and thin and NEVER eats! It's absolutely incredible to his dad and me. But we don't force it or try to make a big issue out of it. (His older brother does enough taunting, as he eats anything put in front of him, though he is lean too). We were so worried that I brought him to the ped 2 days ago. She said as long as he takes a multi vitamin, he'll be fine. They do eat during growth spurts and he is extremely active, so I don't worry too much.

Can you give him things like protein shakes, smoothies, or Carnation Instant Breakfast? He might want to drink rather than eat.

S.,
If I were you, I would be going somewhere else besides your current doctor for some help and support.Have you considered someone that into natural foods?
I have the believe that there is something about your choices that your son doesn't appreciate. Instead of getting frustrated, work with him to see what it is that he likes and doesn't like. As someone that has become more selective with my food choices I see it as a positive as long as something can be found that your son will eat.
With my whole heart,
C.

For a while I felt concerned about our middle child. She will be 6 soon and she weighs 34 lbs. But, we have to consider how her father and i were as children. Hes a tall skinny guy, and I was always called toothpick as a child. She isn't even on that graph thing the dr's have.

If you feel it is something to be concerned about, see another dr.

Also, try to be sneaky with calories. Top Ramon-put an egg in and boil it so they get the calories and protein. Those no bake chocolate peanut butter oatmeal cookies-for a cookie, the peanut butter and oatmeal help give what they need. Someone mentioned Carnation Instant Breakfast, you can also blend a can of boost with ice cream to make a shake (add some peanut butter for the protein and cals).

Ask a dieticion (sp?) about ways to boost your kids calories for when they will eat.

But, don't make extra things for them. Make what your family is having. If they know they can get you to make something else just for them, they've got you. Your job is hard enough without having to be chef to 2 different dinners a night.

I hope you have gotten some advice you wanted/needed from the answers here (all, not just mine!)
J.

Try making it more imaginative. Like a character he likes or something he enjoys. I told me six year old that chicken was what princesses eat, and she loves it. Also may check his teeth maybe something in his mouth hurts, that is why he is not eating. well Good luck and have fun.

Hi S.,
I too have apicky eater, he is 9 now but this has been going on for years. I was worried too and my pediatritian said the same thing, don't worry about it. This is more about power thatn anything, and I don't know how they can do it, I can't not eat, I get too hungry! Maybe just put snack plates out for all the kids so they can graze and don't say a thing to your picky eater! Do this in the am and after school. Just let it go, completely, this probably started two years ago for us as well and he now eats alot more particularly healthy choices. It will take a while but just don't worry! Is he drinking milk? I know my son drinks alot of milk, I can't tell you how many meals where that's all he had! But at least it has protien and calcium! Good luck!

It's unlikely that he'll starve himself, but you as his mom know him better than anyone. And while obesity is a growing epidemic in our country, malnutrition isn't obsolete. I agree with the mom who said to give him a good multivitamin every day (look for one with low iron if you can - most have 18mg which is the same as an adult dose, and I think way too much for someoe weighing 60lbs!!)

I would also start keeping track of what he does eat - that you know of, and is growth. Some kids are just tall and skinny. But if he refuses to eat even when he feels miserable for it, there could be something else. If you are still concerned after looking over a couple of weeks eating habits, call the doctor. Voice your concerns, and if he won't look into it find one who will. It's unlikely, but possible, that there could be digestive issues, or emotional issues (kids manifest depression in odd ways). Continue to watch him, without pushing or making a big deal, and trust your instincts!

Something my son really enjoys is picking what we will have for dinner. Maybe you could give your son that choice, and maybe he'd be more excited about eating it.
Are there new foods he might be more interested in? Maybe you could take him shopping and have him pick out a few new healthy foods.
Both of those options give him a little more control over his world. If he feels like he doesn't have enough control in his world, he could be using food as a way to control SOMETHING. That's how a lot of eating disorders start.
I agree with the previous post. Find a way to teach him about blood sugar. How when your blood sugar is low, you can't concentrate, you get grumpy, and the world just seems worse than when you have enough food.
I don't agree with your doctor. Sure, obesity is a problem for kids, but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't worry about a kid who's having the opposite problem. Most kids don't study enough. If your son didn't ever study and got awful grades, you'd worry. But if all your kid did was study, you'd worry just as much. Either extreme isn't healthy.