I am totally a NON medical person, so anything I would have to say is just based on my own experiences raising my kids and not meant to be anything more.

The body burns a lot of calories trying to heal itself. If you are comfortable with your daughter's doctor and s/he is not concerned with the weight loss right now, while she is battling strep, just try to take it one day at a time. I can understand why she just might not feel up to eating so much. I've never heard of a child wasting away in a house full of food if they are truly hungry.

How about smoothies or milk shakes made with ice cream? Maybe that would feel appealing to her right now?

In hindsight, I wish I had not nagged my step daughter to eat more. It just ruined mealtimes for everyone and became an unnecessary power struggle. And today as an adult she is actually overweight after being a pretty scrawny BUT healthy kid.

I hope your daughter is better soon!

A healthy child being a scrawny kid isn't the same as a healthy child losing weight, though, especially over an extended period of time, & losing weight for 6 weeks in a row sounds like her appetite just hasn't returned after her illness.

One thing that worked with a friend of mine, who was picky at the best of times & whose appetite was zero after an illness, was to "treat her like an orchid".

Orchids need humidity/water, but they can't stand to be wet, so you put them where you're always walking past them, & you mist them, just a spritz or two, every single time you walk past.

She might reject a bigger amount of food, but it's easier for her to just take a 'bite' than to argue.

Offer her bits & bites & tastes, & if you're serving it up in a teaspoon, make it a scant teaspoon rather than a heaping one (sometimes when we're sick, the sight of a brimming container of food, even if the container is small, is very unappetizing).

I wish you all the best.

Perhaps get her into preparing a simple, yummy, meal and then she might eat it.

In doing that - there is more going on than just the continual hassle of eating. The focus is taken off that - and the focus is on deciding on what to make, gathering ingredients, cooking - then service. Perhaps like a restaurant. Make it a game ?

I worried for years about my son, and his weight gain, but now he is 22 and completely normal ! So all that worry for nothing. My conclusion is that children's weight is something that could fix itself. Sensible eating is always the goal - though.

Good luck with your daughter, I hope it all works out for you and her.

I thank everyone for your input. I have taken a little bit of all of it, and it has made me feel better:-) Today, she started having stomach cramps and diarrhea from the antibiotics. Also, even though I have been letting her eat how ever much she want of whatever she wants, she did not gain anything. My goal for now is to keep her at the current weight and not let her loose any more. She says she is tired a lot and doesn't want to do much besides lay in bed. I am sure she will ultimately be fine, but i am having a really hard with this.

Have you spoken to her doctor about the advisability of a supplement like Pediasure? Poor kid. It sounds like this thing is really kicking her butt.

She is drinking Pediasure everyday. I have been keeping a food diary since the 12th of July, some days she just isn't hungry. Yesterday she was hungry and it was so great to have her ask for more of something:-) This morning she was up by 1 pound, but has a low grade temp. 99.3 (sigh). If her temp stays, I will have to call the Dr. again. She is going to stay home from swimming today.