How Can a Child Gain Weight?

While childhood obesity is a growing problem, some children find it difficult to gain weight or to maintain a healthy weight. An underweight child should be examined by a pediatrician to rule out any underlying disorder.An underweight, but otherwise healthy child may benefit from diet and lifestyle changes. According to the Merck Online Medical Library, maintaining a healthy weight is especially important during the first year of life to ensure optimal brain function.

Tips and Warnings

• Serve your child five meals a day instead of just three. Some children fill up after eating only small amounts of food and eating three times a day may not be enough to allow them to gain sufficient weight.
• If your child fails to gain weight despite feeding him a high calorie diet, call a pediatrician. In addition, any infant under the age of two, who is not gaining weight, should be examined by a doctor.

References

• Merck Online Medical Library -- Underweight
• Mayo Clinic -- underweight
• Parents, Berkely, High Calorie foods for toddlers