Why is my kid so skinny?

United States
October 9, 2008 6:26pm CST
My daughter could finish a whole medium cheese pizza by herself, (if I would let her). But she's still a stick thin string bean. What's up with that? The kid eats and eats, but never gains weight. She eats breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and more. But she is still stick thin. She has been skinny her whole life. My spouse says that she is just getting taller and that is true. She is taller than most kids her age. The kid is almost as tall as me. It's not a medical issue, we've had her tested for those. Anyway, my brother used to be the same way. He could eat ALL the time and never ever gain weight. He was so tall, like six foot or more. But, he was stick thin. When I was her age, I was really skinny. But, I didn't eat lots of food, cause we were poor. She does eat lots of food. I'm not too worried. Anyway, do your kids eat a lot and still not gain weight? Are they really tall for their age?
7 people like this
44 responses
@youless (112113)
• Guangzhou, China
10 Oct 08
I think my mom had the same worries like you when I was little. I also eat a lot but it is too difficult for me to gain on weights. I am as skinny as my dad. I think it has the relationship. As long as your child is healthy, you don't have to worry about it. At least being skinny is better than fatter. I love China
2 people like this
• United States
10 Oct 08
That is so true! I would worry too if she were chunky. But I would love her still.
@belk89 (1103)
• Philippines
10 Oct 08
Your kid is blessed to have a fast metabolism. My husband is skinny too when he was younger but eventually he was able to gain weight. It runs in there family since her mom is also skinny.I wish i had a fast metabolism too but i dont. I need to diet to maintain my weight. Your daughter is healthy she just had a fast metabolism. As she grow older she will be able to gain a little weight.
2 people like this
• United States
10 Oct 08
I'd give anything for a fast metabolism. Right now, I gain weight and it stays on. There is no such thing as freebie food. It all counts toward me getting fat.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (157551)
• United States
10 Oct 08
My kids are adults, and were fairly tall for their age. Both of them are thin. My son is about 6'7" and never weighs more than about 180. Daughter was back into size 8 within two weeks of having her first child. I got seriously ill one time and was down to skin and bones--my bones were a size 9. My son's kids are step kids, so we cannot judge there, my daughter's little girl is pretty tall for her age, not really skinny, but getting thinner as she gets older.
@apples99 (6556)
• United States
10 Oct 08
Hi, there. maybe she just has a fast metabolism I was like that when I was Young I could eat anything I wanted and not gain a pound, now I have to be a little bit more careful of what I eat. but anyway I dont think theres anything to worry about.
2 people like this
@Sheepie (3112)
• United States
10 Oct 08
I know a lot of people like that. Don't worry about it at all, let her be confident in who she is no matter what she looks like, nobody should tell her how she's supposed to look. She'll gain weight when she's older.
1 person likes this
• United States
10 Oct 08
Thanks for your advice. I do worry that I'll make her feel self conscious about being skinny. Wouldn't want that.
@sid556 (30960)
• United States
10 Oct 08
You are right to be concerned about making her self-concious. As a teen, I was much tinier than my mom and looking back , she was pretty tiny herself. Still she was more developed than I could have dreamed of. She fretted so over me looking like a "boy" and not having any shape that I really had some hang-ups about it. I was a teen in the late 60's & early 70's...thank God for Twiggy!!
@abd264 (21)
• India
10 Oct 08
Its a very common thing .Even i too was like that .You have nothing to worry just ask your to daughter to workout daily .Ask her to go for morning walk etc.Ithink this would help her to gain weight and try to add things like banana milk etc in her diet. yours abd264
2 people like this
@SViswan (12051)
• India
13 Feb 10
Sounds like my older son...though he wasn't even tall. He wasn't ever the plump child...and I wasn't bothered because he was eating well. He's 9 now and believe it or not....in the past few months, he's been putting on so much weight and eating so much that I've started putting a limit to his eating. I don't like to...but I'm giving him smaller and smaller protions. I kept fluctuating between being skinny and gaining weight (never overweight though) when I was growing. Guess he takes after me.
@SViswan (12051)
• India
23 Mar 10
Thanks for the BR. My son has reduced a bit and trying to maintain his weight to a something close to normal.
• United States
3 Mar 10
Yep! Same for me. I was such a super skinny child. I always thought my skinniness was related to my medical issues as a child and that I had to be on anti-biotics for UTI infections on more than one occasion. But I guess being skinny was just a natural thing for me. Though my family was kind of poor on more than one occasion so maybe I just wasn't eating enough. On the other hand, I have gone without food over the years and given up my own food (at her request) just to make sure that she gets all the food she feels that she needs. She's a healthier eater now than she was when I first posted this discussion a year ago. She eats so much now and yet still she is super duper skinny still. She's almost as tall as me, and she's only six years old. So, I think the extra food, for her, is going into building bones and height and that's not a bad thing either. My older brother was super tall, (rest his soul) and he was always super skinny, so I think she has some of that too. Many of my uncles were super tall and skinny too, so the genetics are obviously there in the line for super skinny tall people. Hopefully she won't get overweight like I did after I had my baby. Those were the end of my skinny days. Thanks for your kind response. Nice to talk to you again.
@Calais (10893)
• Australia
9 Oct 08
Dont worry, My daughter is the same, I often get asked why i dont feed her until they see what she exactly eats...lol...I was and am still the same...Eat anything anytime and never worry about it....
1 person likes this
• United States
10 Oct 08
Lucky ducky!
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
9 Oct 08
Sounds more like a hereditary thing beautyqueen..I was the same exact way...I ate, ate, ate and didn't gain weight. The joke in the family was that my father' family could eat a whole cow at every meal and not gain weight, so I must have inherited that trait...to the envy of my mother who was the type that gained weight just by looking at food. If you saw pics of me as a kid all you would notice would be these beanpole twigs for legs...LOL
1 person likes this
• United States
10 Oct 08
When I was a kid I was super skinny too. But the weight hit when I was a teen and I've battled it ever since. I'm hoping she stays slim. It will be so much easier on her when she grows up and starts having babies. Going into pregnancy with excess weight was really bad for me.
@kinney (14)
• China
11 Oct 08
......Well,I am a good example that eating a lot and never gain weight.I think your daughter is growing up and dont worry about her,the problem will solve by itself when your daughter is a grownup.Wish you happy!
@animeniak (425)
• United States
10 Oct 08
Wow... I am way too jealous of your daughter!!! I wish I could eat fatty foods every day or any other food I love eating and still stay skinny and not gain weight!!!! Maybe she is hyper and love to move around alot, and still eat more and more. I don't know how she can stay skinny and eat more, but I really wish I can be like that. See, the sad thing about me is that I have weight issues (yea you can laugh all you want) and I still love eating whatever I love to eat. All I can say is, I don't know why, and I wish I can be like your daughter -_-;; happy mylotting :)
1 person likes this
• United States
9 Oct 08
That is funny. She just has a fast metabolism. Perfectly normal especially in children. My son is the same way. He can cash out tons of food and never gain a pound. We tease him and tell him if his feet weren't so big he would get sucked down the drain. My son is tall and skinny, and then my daughter is short and stockier built. She is not fat by any means, she is just a thicker person. It is funny how they are like night and day. My husband has hieght on his families side, and I have the fat on my side. My aunt was over 350 lbs. It will be interesting to see how they turn out as they get older.
• United States
10 Oct 08
I was skinny like her when I was a kid, so was my brother. But, since having the baby I'm not skinny anymore! I guess it's a grown up woman thing. Thanks for your post. Very nice.
• United States
10 Oct 08
I wouldn't worry. as long as she is eating, she will be fine. I have an eight year old daughter that eats constantly, she could out eat anyone. She isn;t stick thin, but she has a great physique. She is built like a ballet dancer. as long as she is active and not malnutritioned, she will be fine. She will be thankful later in life that she can eat that much and stay thin. And hats off to you, if you were poor growing up, that you can raise her in a better lifestyle than that which you were raised. I envy that. Keep up the good work, I am sure your daughter is beautiful and is greatful to have you as a parent.
1 person likes this
3 Mar 10
Your daughter probably just has a high metabolism.
@checapricorn (16061)
• United States
10 Oct 08
[i]hi beauty, ohh....do not worry about that, i was like that when i was in high school and early years in college but later on i started to gain weight, for sure she has a very fast metabolism....i also tried to go to gym before to gain weight![/i]
@Bobbysox (224)
10 Oct 08
Aww maybe just the way she is made,but I know it sometimes can cause worry if you see that a child is eating her socks off and then gaining no weight.Maybe she does a lot of exercise and burns the calories off very quickly.Kids in my family differ ,some are thin and can eat for ever,and then there are others that are more podgy and only have to take a look at a donut and they have gained another few pounds.
@lynnemg (4529)
• United States
10 Oct 08
My oldest son eats likr a little horse, but was blessed with high metabolism, so he is very thin. He is also pretty short for his age, poor kid. He gets picked on at times because of his size, but in spite of it, he is a line-backer on his football team. My daughter used to be tiny, but, now, she has a bit of a belly on her. She actually grew 3 sizes in a matter of 6 weeks.
• United States
10 Oct 08
Well, I was ultra thin when I was growing up. I went as far as asking the doctor for medicines to make me fat. Don't ever say that you want to be fat, because eventually fat cells will listen to you. I was called string bean and my friends even told me that I had a point hip that would stick them when I sat next to them in a car. She will grow out it with age, although some never do. I think that they just have a high metabolism. I have a little girl who is ultra thin. She reminds me of myself so much. She is a size 1 and 10 years old. Nature will do right by your daughter. Just thank God that she is healthy, smart and on her way to greatness. I would give just about anything to be ultra thin again, Ha, ha! Blessings...
@cmela22 (13)
• United States
10 Oct 08
My baby eats alot, but that is because she is a baby! She isn't chuncy though as you would expect. Anyway, it sounds like your daughter is blessed with a high metabolism. She is lucky Eventually she will get the curves and everything of womanhood, but she will definately be hated on by other women because I doubt she will ever have to diet. Just let her enjoy it, who knows, she could be a potential model.
• United States
10 Oct 08
She Has a Very High Metalbolism...Right now its Good But When it slows down...Be careful...