How can I help my skinny 13 year old gain weight?

Question

She is only 46 pounds, at 4"10, and she is a girl. She is very skinny, and whatever she eats she never gains weight, she has a very fast metabolism, how can I slow down her metabolism, and make her gain weight?
( I am not sure if she is anorexic or not, I don't want to blame her right away, but I'm not sure, how can I find out if she is?)
1) How can I find out if she is anorexic?
2) How can I help her gain weight?

I don't buy junk food, or soda, it is very bad, I am a very healthy mother, I buys, like Soy Crisps, but like not the real potato chips, just baked potato chips, or healthier.
She is very athletics.
And she has no breats, and is a Children's size 6.

Answer 1

I think that the first step in this situation is to find out why she would be anorexic or have an eating disorder? Children today carry so much stress and pressure around and don't talk about it. Instead, they take it out on themselves often in the forms of eating disorders or worse. Maybe, you should ask her about school and see if she's having any problems with teachers, classes, friends, bullies, etc.

If not then, schedule a check up with her doctor. At 13, I was super skinny and I ate everything that wasn't nailed down. As women our bodies are different. We all start developing at different times. So, don't get too alarmed or jump the gun too fast. She may just have a very high metabolism. And if she does your doctor can prescribe something for it.

Until then, to help her gain weight you can try Ensure drinks, foods that are high in protein or protein bars and make sure she's taking a good vitamin. Just talk to her first and see what's going on.

Answer 2

You should take her to a doctor. A doctor should be able to tell you whether or not she is anorexic based on blood work. This could also help find any other cause for her low weight. If everything checks out, then I would advise you to see a nutritionist. They know the science of food, in and out.
In the mean time, here are some ways you can help her gain weight --
The only way you can gain weight to to expend less calories than you consume. Combine protein with complex carbohydrates. This is the same principle bodybuilders use to put on weight during their "gaining" phases. This doesn't mean put 2 protein shakes, a steak and a salad bowl of brown rice in front of her. This is just a way to balance the diet for weight gain. She should probably be eating more than three meals a day, also. I assume she goes to school, so this would be difficult to achieve. You may want to get her meal replacement bars. They make plenty for women, and to my friends' amusement I actually think they taste pretty good. Luna, Balance, and Lara are examples of brands. The bars should have an adequate amount of fat, carbs, and protein. This is also a good way to gauge some of the calories she is consuming - try not to get anything that is low calorie or low fat... you want plenty of calories, fat, protein, and carbs. There are many other things you can change in her diet to help, but she has to be willing to make these changes. Hopefully, she's just a very active girl with a very active metabolism. Good luck.

Answer 3

just be by her all the time and watch her eat( dont stuff her with junk food thats extremly unhealthy, just make sure she has alot of protien in her diet like add olive oil to all the salads and give her an extra chicken breast for dinner along with her meal, and make sure after her meals she dosent go to the bathroom right away. Why would you want to slow dwn her metabolism? It is a gift from god that she can eat all she wants and never gains, let her keep her metabolism as long as she eats healthy.

Answer 4

dont make her eat a lot of unhealthy food, but she may need some. give her a lot to eat at breakfast. waffles, toast, juice, fruit. give her lunch like a pb&J sandwich with a can soda and chips. after school give her a cookie of 2 with a large glass of milk. for dinner have a large chunk of meat with lots of veggies. have a "unhealthy" dessert or some fruit with whipped cream. if you think she may be anorexic, ask her most loyal friend that YOU trust if she is. and to keep an eye on her since your worried.

Answer 5

don't immediately jump to conclusions.
I used to know this girl who was very very skinny we always thought she was anorexic even when she told us she just had a fast metabolism.
years went by and she only gained a few pounds but remained lanky looking there was nothing wrong with her.
you could ask your doctor how you can slow down her metabolism but its not recommended.
good luck.

Answer 6

I once worried about my daughter. She didn't start growing breast until her early teens and wore the same size underwear since the age of three.she was very ethletic and played many sports until she went off to college.Then she began to "fill out". Have her examed by her doctor.If she is healthy she will pick up weight normally.

Answer 7

well to make her gain weight you need to make sure she eats 2healthy meals a week and the rest of the days give her junk food with high callories so that her body won't die out on her.then make sure she dosen't exercise alot atleast until shes gained an average weight.then if she dosen't eat try to convince her to eat.and if that won't help take her to thearapy or a docter asap.and to find out if shes and anorexic look for signs of her not eating and signs of her making her self throw up by sticking her hand in the back of her throat.this is all i know about this kind of stuff.

Answer 8

Bring her to the doctor immediately. It could be diabetes, tapeworm, anything. She cannot be healthy at this weight. She's not just skinny; she's dangerously underweight. She needs to gain about 30 pounds before she can be considered healthy.

Answer 9

Try protien shakes. They will help her maintain muscle and build muscle. You don't want her to gain fat, or become unhealthy, so don't load her up on fast food.

Answer 10

Omg her BMI is 9.6!!! Shes deffintaly underweight & anorexic!!! Eat a lot of junk food and she'll gain weight.