Weight Loss In Children – Being Parents
Childhood weight loss is a symptom that doesn’t always go unnoticed. Usually weight loss stems from different types of health problems, which is why it is important to learn to identify its causes in time in order to combat it quickly.
Generally speaking, we tend to exaggerate certain details related to children’s weight. When it decreases, we often think of undernutrition, but in most cases it is an exaggeration.
In order to be able to clearly assess a child’s weight, it is necessary to be able to distinguish between extreme cases and normal variations in weight.
Concerns about children’s weight loss: real danger or exaggeration?
Usually, weight loss in children indicates the presence of a health problem or digestive blockage. Sometimes the appetite is not restricted, but the nutrients are not absorbed properly, leading to weight loss.
A good way to see if your suspicions are true is to compare your child’s current weight with that taken during the last medical visit. A sudden loss of more than 10% of his initial weight or if he falls below the normal body mass index (depending on his age and height) can be indicators of health problems.
In all cases, a person’s weight must always, from childhood to adulthood (except in cases of childhood obesity), increase according to his growth. Therefore, if your child is losing a lot of weight (suddenly or gradually), you should take him to see a doctor.
Common causes of weight loss in children
The causes of weight loss in children can be as varied as in adults. Thus, they can just as well come from a pathological condition as be behavioral. Here are some common causes of weight loss in children:
Pathological causes
- Cancer.
- Hyperthyroidism.
- Anemia : due to poor absorption of nutrients.
- Diabetes: especially when it is not yet detectable.
- Celiac disease or gluten intolerance : this can cause discrimination in the consumption of foods which can cause disorders.
- Gastrointestinal diseases : such as bacterial infections, stomach parasites, etc.
Mental causes
- Anorexia or bulimia.
- Intense episodes of stress.
- Acute depression (especially when a family member dies).
Other types of causes
- Food contamination.
- A recent surgical operation.
- Experiencing delicate situations that lead to weight loss.
- The deliberate or unintentional consumption or misuse of drugs.
In all cases, it is necessary to consult a doctor to discover the causes of this weight loss as well as the appropriate treatment and indications to correct this tendency. However, we can already give you some examples to help you start treating the problem more easily.
Episodes of depression, anxiety or stress
If parents are not aware of the source of depression or stress, it may be abuse at school or by other adults.
So, depending on the daily activities and the age of the child, you have to be subtle in asking the right questions or determining the things that influence this period of stress or depression.
If you know the trigger, depending on the intensity of it, you can approach a therapist. In this way, you will avoid that this state does not become chronic or that these episodes of intense stress do not leave after-effects such as generalized anxiety.
Eating disorders
In this case, you have to be much more subtle to detect it, but despite a very young age, well before the period of adolescence, the child can present the same symptoms.
In addition, it should be noted that there is a 90% higher risk for women to have this type of disorder.
Unlike a post-traumatic disorder where it is possible to ask questions that allow us to find a psychotherapeutic solution to the problem, in the case of eating disorders, the person affected will to a greater extent maintain negative or ultimately difficult behaviors.
Thus, consulting a specialist in this case may be a necessity to determine how to approach the problem under the circumstances.
Moreover, in most cases, this approach is much more advisable than trying to solve the problem yourself within the family.
