Vegetarian children maybe underweight compared to meat eating children

The background: A new study finds that vegetarian and meat eating children have similar growth and nutrition, but not weight.  Being underweight can be a sign of malnutrition and can indicate that one's diet isn't enough to support appropriate growth.

Doctor's Expert Insights

The big picture: But this does not mean, at least according to the study, that vegetarian children are malnutrioned. They just could be eating less fatty foods like fried chicken.

Know this: Our doctors at Health Stuff TO Know indicate that vegetarian children should be monitored for vitamin B12 and vitamin D deficiencies and for the micronutrient iron. All of these values can be found from a simple blood test.

Next steps: The thing to keep in mind here is that your child's weight can be a very good indicator of their nutritional and physical health. If you see any dramatic weight gains or losses, it's time to talk to your pediatrician. Determine if there are any vitamin or micronutrient deficiencies.