Sign-in to Ask A Doctor - 24x7
OR
Sign in with Google
Suggest Natural Appetite Stimulants For A Teenager
Question: I'm looking for a natural appetite stimulant for my 16 year old son. He's had a physical in the last year and it was ok. He's never (from birth) been a great eater and has always been smaller than his peers (which he is unhappy about).
At one time, he was on meds for ADD which decreased his appetite. But, he's been off of them for about 3 years as they made him depressed/brittle. He had a great growth spurt a few years ago, and had a wonderful appetite!
He had a bout of periodic vomiting/diarrhea for a few months last year. He got checked out/tests run by his family doctor and a pediatric gastroenterologist. All was well except for showing signs of allergies in the gut, with a high eosinophil count. Since the vomiting/diarrhea episodes, his appetite is next to nil and he's lost about 7 lbs. Currently, he is 5'5" and weighs about 115.
I'm looking for the best and most natural way to increase his appetite and help him to gain weight. He plays soccer and wants to gain both weight and mass.
To note.....he has difficulty swallowing pills, particularly large ones. He can swallow smaller ones, but most not the big ones. So, the less he can take, or take in chewable form, the better.
Thank you!
At one time, he was on meds for ADD which decreased his appetite. But, he's been off of them for about 3 years as they made him depressed/brittle. He had a great growth spurt a few years ago, and had a wonderful appetite!
He had a bout of periodic vomiting/diarrhea for a few months last year. He got checked out/tests run by his family doctor and a pediatric gastroenterologist. All was well except for showing signs of allergies in the gut, with a high eosinophil count. Since the vomiting/diarrhea episodes, his appetite is next to nil and he's lost about 7 lbs. Currently, he is 5'5" and weighs about 115.
I'm looking for the best and most natural way to increase his appetite and help him to gain weight. He plays soccer and wants to gain both weight and mass.
To note.....he has difficulty swallowing pills, particularly large ones. He can swallow smaller ones, but most not the big ones. So, the less he can take, or take in chewable form, the better.
Thank you!
Brief Answer:
Suggestions on appetite stimulants
Detailed Answer:
Hi...Thank you for consulting in Health Care magic.
I take this opportunity to tell you certain scientific facts and relieve your distress -
1. An active is a well kid even if he is not eating well.
2. Development of a kid is as important as or I would say even more important than growth alone.
3. As the kids grow their interest in food decreases and interest in play activities increases so that they eat small quantity and run away to play. As parents we need to be more patient and feed than less quantity but more aliquots per day.
4. This age rather than the quantity of the food I suggest you concentrate more on the number of times you feed him and also make whatever you feed his calorie dense by adding good amount of ghee to it.
5. I suggest you not to use appetite stimulants on long run as they may cause drowsiness.
6. There or no proven natural appetite stimulants which can act very well in this regard and there are no scientifically proven appetite stimulants either. There are certain allopathic Medications which increase the appetite but as I have already suggested they might cause drowsiness and that is the reason why I do not advise any appetite stimulants.
Hope you found the answer helpful.
Let me know if I can assist you further.
If you have some further questions,I shall be glad to have you in follow-up.
Regards - Dr. Sumanth
Suggestions on appetite stimulants
Detailed Answer:
Hi...Thank you for consulting in Health Care magic.
I take this opportunity to tell you certain scientific facts and relieve your distress -
1. An active is a well kid even if he is not eating well.
2. Development of a kid is as important as or I would say even more important than growth alone.
3. As the kids grow their interest in food decreases and interest in play activities increases so that they eat small quantity and run away to play. As parents we need to be more patient and feed than less quantity but more aliquots per day.
4. This age rather than the quantity of the food I suggest you concentrate more on the number of times you feed him and also make whatever you feed his calorie dense by adding good amount of ghee to it.
5. I suggest you not to use appetite stimulants on long run as they may cause drowsiness.
6. There or no proven natural appetite stimulants which can act very well in this regard and there are no scientifically proven appetite stimulants either. There are certain allopathic Medications which increase the appetite but as I have already suggested they might cause drowsiness and that is the reason why I do not advise any appetite stimulants.
Hope you found the answer helpful.
Let me know if I can assist you further.
If you have some further questions,I shall be glad to have you in follow-up.
Regards - Dr. Sumanth
Note: For further queries related to your child health, Talk to a Pediatrician. Click here to Book a Consultation.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Naveen Kumar
Answered by
Get personalised answers from verified doctor in minutes across 80+ specialties
