Consequences of forcing children to eat to gain weight in the summer

Ms. Ngoc, 30 years old, in Hanoi, took her son to a nutrition center for a check-up right after the end of the school year, in early June. Her son, who is in third grade this year, weighs 20 kg and is not up to standard height. "My son is the shortest in the class, I worry when I see his friends are a whole head taller than him," Ms. Ngoc said, adding that she is trying to take advantage of the summer months to help her son gain as much weight as possible.

The doctor diagnosed the baby as having anorexia and stunted growth, and advised on a menu to improve the baby's height and weight. The menu was divided into 5 meals, including 3 main meals and 2 snacks. In addition, the doctor prescribed digestive enzymes, zinc, powdered milk, high-energy cakes... to support and stimulate eating. She followed the menu and cooked for her baby. The first few days, the baby cooperated and ate well, but in the second week, he started to be lethargic and afraid to eat, and was forced to eat, making the family atmosphere even more tense.

Dr. Truong Hong Son, Director of the Vietnam Institute of Applied Medicine and Deputy Secretary General of the Vietnam Medical Association, noted that the number of children coming to nutrition centers for examination due to anorexia and malnutrition doubled in the summer compared to previous months. Most parents brought their children for examination with the goal of gaining weight or increasing their height.

Underweight and slow weight gain are often accompanied by short stature and malnutrition. To increase both of these indicators, it is necessary to increase the volume and quality of meals at some stages, according to Dr. Son. However, increasing the volume does not mean stuffing food.

"Forcing food regardless of whether children like it or not makes them afraid to eat, leading to poor digestion, digestive disorders, stomach pain, and psychological trauma due to too much stress," said Dr. Son. Many children are forced to the point that just seeing food causes stomach cramps, and the more they eat, the slower they gain weight.

Therefore, the amount of food needs to be arranged scientifically according to the schedule, the order of food groups during the day is carefully calculated. Digestive enzymes, probiotics, and trace minerals are supplemented appropriately at each stage to support the food digestion process, helping children eat more to increase weight and height sustainably.

Weight is considered a measure to assess the growth and development of children. Children who gain weight slowly, especially in the first 5 years of life, can affect their physical and mental development, and are more susceptible to disease than children of normal weight.

Growth charts are a tool to track a child's weight and height compared to the standard. Dr. Son advises that when families closely monitor their child's weight, if it is below the standard for age, or if it has plateaued over time, it is a warning sign.

"Following the growth chart, if the child's weight is below -1SD, the family needs to find ways to improve the child's condition early. They should not wait until the child is malnourished and underweight before intervening," said Dr. Son.

To gain weight properly for your child, you need to divide the food portions and increase the number of meals per day. Each meal should be 2-3 hours apart to ensure that the baby's stomach can digest all the food, and at the same time, there is enough time to make the baby hungry and excited to eat when the next meal comes. Provide adequate nutrition for your child, choose foods with protein and good fats.

Fat provides twice as much energy as protein and carbohydrates, helps the body absorb fat-soluble vitamins (vitamins A, D, E, K, which are essential for bone and eye development) and provides essential saturated fatty acids. Therefore, when processing, you should add more oil and fat to ensure enough for the increased energy needs of children. Chicken fat contains 18% unsaturated fatty acids, which are very good for children's absorption, and is also rich in saturated fatty acids needed for metabolism.

Milk is rich in protein with amino acids, organic calcium and trace elements that are easily absorbed by the body. Children should drink milk, eat soft cheese and yogurt. Chicken eggs are nutritious food, very good for children. Eggs contain a lot of protein, fat, minerals and vitamins. Children usually do not have high blood cholesterol, so feeding children 1-2 eggs a day is very good for their health.

Sweet fruits contain many organic acids that stimulate digestion. Pineapple has bromelain enzyme, papaya has papain enzyme which helps children digest food well. Feed children bananas and sapodilla when they have diarrhea and digestive disorders. Children should eat a variety of fruits to get many vitamins and minerals, especially sweet ripe fruits with high fructose sugar, high energy and easy to absorb.

Avoid foods that are high in energy but low in nutrients, even though they can cause your child to gain weight quickly, such as snacks that are high in empty calories, such as candy, chips and soft drinks. Limit eating and drinking during meals. Giving your child enough water helps boost metabolism, aids digestion and prevents constipation.

Children who exercise regularly will consume more energy, feel hungry, eat more and absorb nutrients effectively. Deworm regularly. Improve the digestive system with probiotics to help supplement beneficial bacteria probiotics and soluble fiber from prebiotics plants.