Q: My elder son who is 6 years of age weighs 16 kgs. His height is 110 cms. The problem lies with his appetite. His school begins at 8.30 am and he comes back around 1.00 pm. In the mornings he refuses to eat. If I give him 2 slices of bread, 1 boiled egg and 200 ml of milk, he throws up. This is happening quite frequently. Even during lunch and dinner he is not interested in eating. He takes nearly 1 hour to finish his lunch/dinner. Even if we go out to eat, he will show lots of enthusiasm but when it comes to eating he will just have a few mouthful. He does not feel hungry. He does not sleep much. His total input of sleep is 2 hrs at the most in the afternoon and 7 hrs in the night. I feel that due to the lack of sleep and food; his behaviour to others is getting affected. Even my behaviour is becoming harsh with him because of all this. Kindly advise what course of action I should take.If possible let me know the food diet plan which I can enforce.

A:Your son's growth is adequate. Many children are poor eaters. They may eat some foods better, but even then have small appetites. As long as you force feed him, he will never learn to enjoy food. As long as he is gaining at least 1 kg weight every year and is active, do not force feed. Instead encourage and present a variety of foods and try to get him to eat with you at the dining table. Appetite builds up slowly and develops by about 8-9 years of age- so do not worry. From your description, he sleeps enough.