Children

I am concerned about my son's height. He is 11 years old and 4 feet 6 inches weighing 65 pounds. When he was born he was 19 inches long and weighed 8 pounds 6 ounces. I believe he grew 1 inch this past year. I haven't really discussed it with his doctor because I...

My two and a half-year-old son eats dirt and potting soil from my houseplant. He also sucks on rocks, but he spits them out when he's done. How can I get him to stop? Every time he's out of my sight, he gets into something. I've told him to stop and he has been...

Congratulations on a very useful site. I am trying to find out exactly my son's percentiles for weight and height before I seek a specialist's help. I have not been able to locate such tables in any place on the web, not even in the CDC site. Your tables are the closest I got,...

The only vegetables my kids will eat are corn and beans. I like most others, but I'm the only one in the family that will eat other vegetables. How can I get them to try something else? Your family's vegetable preferences are most commonly compared to other Americans. Corn and beans are probably the most...

Where can I find a dietitian who works with children? The Pediatric Nutrition dietetic practice group of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics specializes in working with infants, children, and adolescents. You can find a dietitian at the Find a Registered Dietitian on the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Include your zip code or city/state...

Thank you so much for your prompt reply. You have made me feel so much better. I could not find anyone to tell me anything about children and weight, even our family doctor, whom we adore, seemed hesitant about discussing Emily's weight, acknowledging she was big, but shrugging it off. I simply wanted someone...

I would like to ask you: how old do you have to be to be able to go on a diet? Depends on the child and the type of diet. If you mean weight loss diet without any other restrictions, then maybe 18. But if a kid is 100 pounds overweight or double their healthy...

My daughter is 7. She weighs 52 pounds and is roughly 45 inches tall. In my eyes, she is not overweight, but since she has expressed concern about her appearance, we have made a conscious effort to offer low fat, low sugar nutritious meals and snacks for her (and the rest of the...

I have an 11-year-old male is 5 feet 1 inch tall and weighs 132 pounds. Thanking you in advance and looking forward to your reply. Your son is tall and heavy for age with a BMI of 25.8. A healthy weight range is 105 - 116 pounds. A healthy BMI for his height and age...

According to the doctor's chart, my six-year-old son is 15 pounds overweight. Should I put him on a diet? What did his doctor say about your son's weight? Was he/she concerned? How tall is he? Does his weight compare to his height? In children, 0 to 18 years of age, their height should correlate to their...