Eating to Much 8 Year Old.

L., my friend Linda's daughter did that & it turned out she had a serious medical condition. If you haven't done it already you should have your Dr. check him out to rule out that possibility. R.

I leave a fruit bowl in my kitchen. Between meals if I hear the famous words, "I am still hungry." I let them know to hit the fruit bowl that is full of oranges, apples, and grapes.

That's okay that he loves to eat, but after a big healthy meal, he shouldn't still be hungry. Do you think he may be eating for other reasons? Boredom, supressing his feelings, or comfort? I would keep him very active, getting daily excercise/cardio will help him from gaining too much weight. This will make him hungrier but atleast he will be burning fat and keeping his metabolism working faster. Good luck to you!

You mentioned he was active. It could be that he is growing. Children tend to eat more when they are going through a growth spurt. Boys tend to eat more than girls too. Instead of making a big deal about him eating too much just make sure he is being offered healthy foods that are low in calories if weight issues are a concern. Since you mention sneaking food, have a drawer in the house that is stocked with healthy choices that he can have when he is hungry...veggies, fruits, low fat granola bars, pb on a tortilla, popcorn. Fill it with 4 veggies snacks and two of the others that are put in baggies that are appropriate serving size. In other words just one granola bar not the whole box (granola bar, raisins, trail mix, rice crackers)You will have to fill the drawer daily but it will give you a break from hearing that he is hungry and he will have more control over his eating. If you choose a drawer/shelf in the refrigerator you can have more options like yogurt, string cheese, celery and cream cheese, hummus on pita bread, etc Whenever he is hungry during the day he can go to his drawer. You can never eat too many veggies and you won't gain weight on those either. Even if he is hungry after a meal offer him fruits and veggies..like some carrot sticks, brocolli, apple slices, etc.

It could be that he would do better on many smaller meals during the day then 3 big meals.

I would also speak to your pediatrician or a dietician for more advice.

Have him eat a piece of fruit 1/2 hour before his meals - apple, banana - something with fiber - it will fill him with healthy calories... I went through this with my oldest who is now 17 - - - by age 9 she was overweight and I was tired of nagging her all the time... She is healthy now, but I still have to remind her especially late at night when she is studying to pick healthy calories...

It seems to me that your son may not be getting certain nutrients that his body needs, or he is not doing well on some types of food he is eating - perhaps food sensitivities. Hence he does not feel satisfied after meal, because the body is still seeking nutrients of some kind. Paying attention to his eating habit, is he having enough fat in his diet? Does he eat too much sugar (sugar burns too quickly, and sends brain signal for more after burned off - and it's loaded in processed food)? is he more hungry after certain types of food than others? Keep a food diary, and see if you see patterns, then adjust his diet accordingly. Should probably also try a nutritional (alternative) doctor, and have him checked on his nutrition level in the body. Some times, lacking of certain vitamins, amino fluid, or having too much of heavy metals (mercury?) could also affect his appetite. Good luck.

I had the same trouble with all my children. I have 3 20yr old male, 12 year old daughter, and 10 year old son. At around the age of 7 they all ballooned out and I was so fearful of all the health risks and went to the MD. All my children played sports on teams, swimming daily, always out side and active. My MD said as long as they were active and eating healthy the should grow into it. MY 20 year old at 15 shot up a foot and my daughter has shot up and 20 lbs disapeared. I don't know if it is the way our family bodies work or what. I went though all the test thyroid, diabetes, ect...with them and all came up with nothing.

I would be sure to talk to your MD and see if it is medical or just growing up stuff. Before I would decide that a child needs to be offered just fruits and veggies between meals to handle the problem I would make sure there aren't any health problems. Kids eating can be a sign of something greater. I don't want to worry you I was just reading over the other responses and just don'twant anything to get overlooked.

Have a happy day and good luck

The rule in our house has always been: Between meal snacks are fruits and vegetables. You can have as many carrots, apples, strawberries, celery sticks, bananas, broccoli, etc, as you like, but nothing else.

Hi L.,
I would recommend you seek some professional advice from a Registered Dietitian who specializes in Pediatrics. A dietitian can evaluate what and why your son is overeating and give you advice on best how to help your son. Good luck.
A.

Make sure that he is getting protein every time he eats. If he is eating mostly carbohydrates his blood sugar may be spiking up and then crashing down, making him feel hungry (actually his body is craving more sugar/carbs). He may be more sensitive to blood sugar crashes than others. Is there any history of diabetes in your family? You may consider bringing your concerns to your doctor, to have diabetes ruled out.

Dr. T.

I have two little boys my self Neakco is 5 and ArReon is 7. ArReon is the same way I can feed him at home and we can drive to my mom's house and as soon as he gets in her house he is asking for food again Neakco dosent ask but when she gives ArReon something then he wants it to. At school I have to pack a big lunch so he can be full and not ask people for theirs sometimes I think they might think I dont feed him at home but thats all he do at home. The doctor said he is just a boy and he is not over weight so it's fine for right now. When he asks for seconds I give it to him but when he asks for thirds I say no, let the food sit a little bit and if your still hungry then I will give you some more.

Set an example of moderate portions when meals are served. When he says he is hungry, always offer him some thing healthy, a piece of fruit, vegetables, a salad. He cannot gain uneeded weight on fruits and vegies. He may be missing some nutrient he needs - maybe some food based suppliment would help - (vitamins in their natural environment, which the body can actually use). It may be he is greedy. Try to teach him it is wrong, or it will effect every area of his life. Show him that each person struggles with selfishness and temptation, and we need to pray for each other and look to God for self control. Read the gospel of John together in the Bible, to get to know the Lord Jesus, the bread of life. We can't have too much of Him!

Hi L.,
You are the first person I respond to because I have shared your concerns in the past. Here's some of the stuff that I have tried and it worked for me.

I would like to first ask you if your son has had a medical evaluation. It is important to find out if there is anything going on that causes him to be hungry all the time. I would specifically ask that he be tested for diabetes and thyroid problems. If everything comes back normal then you might want to look into his emotional well being. Some children look for food as comfort. Sometimes this may be hard to figure out because 8 yr. olds don't always know what they are feeling. If you feel that the reason for his eating is not emotional then you may want to look for patterns and see if there is any specific event that triggers your child's hunger. Try not to focus on his eating. What you might want to do is eliminate all junk foods from your home. Have plenty of bite sized fruits and veggies available for him. Also sports are a great way to keep your son fit and busy. Sometimes kids eat out of boredom and walking may not be enough activity for him. Hope these tips help and everything works out for your and your son.

E.

It sounds to me like he needs to just be really active. Make sure he is always in some type of sport to keep him active. My son has a slow metabolism but is extremely active. He is always in some sort of sport. After he is done eating dinner or whatever have him drink water and or tell him he has to wait until his food settles. good luck.

My son eats allot as well. He can eat more then my husband and my husband is 6'1" and 285 pounds. So can you think of a child that can eat more then a man that big. Well my son is tall skinny and his feet are bigger then mine. My son also is for every inch he is 1.6 pounds. We got really concerned about my son eating so much and that he would never stop eating like this and start to gain weight. Well my son also has like 1% body fat and we have tried to get him fat just a bit its not working at all. He looks as though he is never really feed but trust me I go through over $800 a month in food for a family of 4. Now trust me when I say this I rarely go out to eat.

So what I was thinking is if you start a log of what your son eats and see if its going to harm him. Start to fill your house with good foods. Its not to late to teach your kids about good foods. I have always had my kids eat fruits, vegies, and less fats and sweets. Heck my kids will take fruit over candy any day and I have had to prove that a few times. So start to slowly take out the foods your kids like and start to take control of your kitchen once again. I did and I am happy I did.

Once your family sees that you mean no sweets in the house and no soda's the asking goes away unless you are at a resturant. I got the we aren't at home mom can we have some soda. I had to give in...You dont need to take out all the sweet stuff just dont have it in your home is all.

To control the bad eating and weight gain get the good foods.

In one week I go through this in fruits non-canned:

15 pounds of Bananas (from just eating them to Breads)
8 pounds of Apples
8 pounds of grapes
4 heads of Lettace
9+ pounds of Carrotts
3 pounds of Zuccinni
2 stalks of Celery

We also go through fruits that are off season for as of right now and we go through 3 melons depending on what sounds good I buy on Sundays. I had to go slow on what I took out of the house and it hit my husband harder then the kids. So I told him that he just cant have it in the house that in his Shed was fine as well as at work. So he doesnt go through candy and soda withdrawls.

Kids this age just eat alot! I have 4 kids ranging in age from 4 to 8.5- they all are ALWAYS hungry- it doesn't matter if they finished eating 5 minutes ago, or longer. I can't keep them out of the food. They're all extremely active (i have 2 of each gender- the girls being the oldest and youngest) none of them are anywhere close to being overweight, but they all would eat all day long if possible. So, what I'm saying is- I don't think its abnormal for a child that age to act that way with food. If you would feel better about it, you can find out ways to talk to him about how to tell if he's really hungry or just bored and wanting to eat, but I wouldn't worry about it, as long as he's active enough to counteract any excess calories eaten (which probably at this age isn't a problem!) From what I've seen and heard from Mom's with boys- it'll get worse when they hit the teens.

Have you taken him to a dr? Sometimes there is a problem with a body that doesn't recognize when they are full. The other thing you can do is to remove ALL junkfood from the house and only keep healthy items or items that need to be cooked in order to be eaten so that anything he "steals" is good for him.

Look at books written by Ellen Satter (might be spelling this wrong, but one of her first books is entitled "Child of Mine." Our pediatrician, pediatric gastroenterologist, and every nutritionist who has visited our son's preschool has recommended her work. I think she has books appropriate for older kids, too. Anyway, she discusses how to make sure your child develops a healthy realtionship with food, e.g., not eating emotionally, for a reward, out of boredom, and not developing negative associations with food. She is amazing, and she has excellent advice for pretty much every situation (our son wasn't eating enough). Her books are highly recommended by the health professionals I've encountered, and I've found her advice to be logical, sound, and effective. Please, give one of her books a try!

I do not know if I should give advice without knowing more information. Do you think it is a control thing because he is the older child? Does he have a weight problem at all? I am dealing with the same thing with my daughter who is turning 8 next week. I feel it is partly control. I have caught her sneaking food and she has dveloped a little bit of a tummy but no one would say she has a weight issue. I have always struggled with my weight, though and it worries me terribly that she will follow in my footsteps. She likes to be active too, but like I said, I think it is more of something she feels she has control over. She always says she is hungry and seems to time when the next meal is. I do not think I am helping, but kind of reaching out with the same situation. It is like my daughter is fixated or obsessed with food. I guess I am also looking for suggestions.

I thought I was the only one with that problem. I have a 6 year old that is like that. He eats a lot a each meal and he eats way to fast to even tast it. If you didn't know me you would think that I starve him all day long. I have gotten him to slow down a little, but still 10 mins after he is done he says he is hungry again. I have tried giving him more starches hoping that it will make him feel fuller but I am not even sure that is working. I have come to the conclution that he just likes to chew I have found that if I let him have gum that he isn't coming to me as often telling me that he is hungry. That is a little help but when he has gum I keep him were I can see or hear him and there is no ruf housing with his brother and that casue the am board saying all the time. So I guess that it is whatever I want to hear. Good luck with that. Sorry I wasn't much help but you are not alone

Our older son is 7 years old & had a 'girth'spirt this summer....he went form a size 6 to a size 8 in pants cuz he grew a little gut. Like your son, he'll also say he's hungry shortly after eating or want snack after snack. So, we started asking him if he was hungry or bored. Most times he said he was bored & I won't give him any more snacks. At dinner, if he tells us he doesn't like the dinner, we tell him there will be nothing more to eat for the rest of the night &, lo & behold, he eats more or completely finishes his dinner. So, maybe you could try those 2 things w/your son. And the obvious one, when he wants snacks make sure they're healthy & filling not sugary which will burn off faster & cause him to be hungry again. Bananas are good for filling up, cheese & crackers, juices & fruit snacks that are 100% fruit not full of fillers. The one thing we absolutley will not tell our son is that he's getting chubby or to not eat too much to avoid getting chubby. We just tell him eating healthier snacks/food is better for him. He knows fast food, chips, cakes, ice cream etc are junk food & that a little is OK. Hope this helps & goo dluck!