Inadequate Nutrition Intake Problem

You said that you were concerned that your child does not eat enough. If your child is fairly young, s/he may be trying to be more independent. Some children try to act independent by not eating certain foods. If your child is a bit older, s/he may not be eating enough because s/he thinks that s/he needs to go on a diet.

Your child is not eating very much and because of this s/he is not growing as fast as s/he should. Your child's doctor will help you deal with this. Children with much bigger eating problems than your child have an eating disorder.

Warning signs that things are getting worse

• Your child says s/he is fat when s/he is of average weight or underweight.
• Your child begins to talk about dieting, goes on a diet, or eats a lot less.
• Your child refuses to eat for days at a time.

If you think these things are getting worse, talk to your child's doctor even if you have talked about it before.

American Academy of Pediatrics (1996). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Primary Care. Elk Grove Village, Illinois: Author.