Excelsior! Academy Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 As you know we got our nephews and nieces a few years ago. They would eat until they got sick. One would consistently, literally, eat out of the trash. My oldest nephew is 7 now. He will eat and not know when to stop. To the point of feeling ill. The other day I told him if he was hungry then by all means he could get more, but if he wasn't hungry he shouldn't get more. I asked him if he was really hungry. He thought about it and genuinely said, "I don't know." How can I help him? We have a policy that if you are served you don't have to finish your plate, but if you serve yourself you should. Does this policy need relaxed? If we are having hamburgers and he wants a third one I will suggest that he start with 1/2 and then if he is still hungry he may have the other 1/2. I find that he is often not as hungry as he thought, he just realizes it too late. *I* truly don't know how much is too much when it comes to boys. Due to family privacy issues I may later edit this to include less information. Please, pm if you need more specific information. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer in MI Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 When our boys were younger, we used to have them describe their hunger. Were they "dog hungry" or really hungry. Dog hungry because our dog would eat ALL.THE.TIME - hungry or not. It got them thinking about it. I do remember a time when my now 15 yo ds would eat three hamburgers. And, he really was hungry. I would ask that he eat 1 1/2 and then come back a little later once the first 1 1/2 had settled a little. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewelma Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 This is just a random out-of-the-box idea. You could talk to them about trying an experiment. Suggest that they eat breakfast and then not eat again until dinner, so their minds will know what hunger feels like. If they have never felt it, perhaps they really don't know the difference. Then, they would have a reference point. "Remember that day you did not eat? Are you hungry like that?" Just an idea. Ruth in NZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommie_Jen Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 I PM'd you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shellydon Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 We let them have a serving. If they are still hungry, the can eat all the salad, fruit/veggies they want. If they totally refuse that, then they can't be THAT hungry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paige Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 IMO, it sounds like something he needs to see some kind of Dr/therapist about. Did he have a history of deprivation? Even medical issues can cause this type of behavior. Eating out of the trash or until he gets sick is not a normal variation of childhood eating behavior. Having eyes bigger than your stomach is, but this seems like more than that. I would serve him normal portions and possibly allow one more serving of healthy foods. Maybe a dietitian can help you come up with how many calories he needs and you can work from there. The first thing she'll tell you to do is to keep a 2 week food diary so she can add it up and see if anything is missing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbeyej Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 I would definitely consider relaxing that particular rule with them. It sounds like their early experiences (whatever they were) may have "broken" their ability to perceive hunger and satiety in a normal manner. I think this is pretty common in children who have been radically overfed (especially mostly sugar and processed junk) or who have experienced starvation, and subsequent malnourishment (either from too much food with too few nutrients or simply too little food). There are also medical conditions that can cause kids simply not to feel satisfied -- but I suspect in their case, it's not that so much as a broken satiety mechanism. So, while I would encourage them to take smaller helpings and wait a little between helpings, and perhaps discuss through, "So, are you *really* hungry? Or does it just seem like it would be nice to have a little more? How long do you think it will be until you get to eat again? Will there be plenty of food then? If you were to leave the table now, still feeling a little hungry, what would happen?" etc... I think it's also reasonable to encourage them that it's okay to leave food on their plates if they have had "enough" (which doesn't always have to mean "feeling full")... Hopefully at some point, they'll have learned the difference between "still needing more food" and "could fit more in if I really tried" and they won't take too much. Until then though, I'd consider more lenience than you give the other kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Excelsior! Academy Posted January 25, 2012 Author Share Posted January 25, 2012 This is like a light bulb moment for me. I never knew how to put into words some of their previous experience, but I think this is it. It was one extreme to the other. This makes so much sense. It sounds like their early experiences (whatever they were) may have "broken" their ability to perceive hunger and satiety in a normal manner. I think this is pretty common in children who have been radically overfed (especially mostly sugar and processed junk) or who have experienced starvation, and subsequent malnourishment (either from too much food with too few nutrients or simply too little food). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jallison25 Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 i agree w/ the above poster about the needing to see a doc perhaps. Are the children overweight? i know with my son, who is thin but eats a ton, i will sometimes suggest that he drink a glass of water and wait 20 minutes. if he comes back to me still hungry then i know he was truly hungry. if he forgets about it and goes to play then i know he wasnt really that hungry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
********* Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 Zee went through a phase a while back when he insisted he genuinely couldn't tell if he was still hungry, or if he was full. I have no idea why. I think he was having trouble differentiating between 'I'm hungry' and 'I like this yummy food so I want more'. We just worked through it by my helping him 'think through' how he really felt. We talked about it a lot for a while. This is just a random out-of-the-box idea. You could talk to them about trying an experiment. Suggest that they eat breakfast and then not eat again until dinner, so their minds will know what hunger feels like. If they have never felt it, perhaps they really don't know the difference. Then, they would have a reference point. "Remember that day you did not eat? Are you hungry like that?" Just an idea. Ruth in NZ I'm no dr or anything, but I think this is a FANTASTIC idea; so long as the child truly understands that they're not being punished, but that you are doing a fun 'experiment'. And I'd for SURE do it with them. We let them have a serving. If they are still hungry, the can eat all the salad, fruit/veggies they want. If they totally refuse that, then they can't be THAT hungry. I do this with both my boys. If I think they've had plenty to eat or eaten fairly recently, I offer a banana or an apple. They both *like* those, but they don't classify as favorites or treats to them. If they accept those, then they really are hungry, and I let them have the fruit (and possibly something else, too). If they say no thanks, well then they're not that hungry. i agree w/ the above poster about the needing to see a doc perhaps. Are the children overweight? i know with my son, who is thin but eats a ton, i will sometimes suggest that he drink a glass of water and wait 20 minutes. if he comes back to me still hungry then i know he was truly hungry. if he forgets about it and goes to play then i know he wasnt really that hungry Your hunger and thirst signals come from the same part of the brain, and your body can misinterpret a 'thirsty' signal as a 'hungry' signal. Whenever I'm getting hungry but think I shouldn't be yet, I have some ice water. I've often been surprised that I was actually thirsty instead of hungry. I do this trick with my boys, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geo Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 (edited) I know a family who fosters and adopts. The eating thing is a common trait amongst children who have experienced separation, like adoption. I would look into it. http://ouradopt.com/adoption-blog/may-2008/faitha/binge-eatingcompulsive-overeating-and-the-adopted-child Edited January 25, 2012 by Geo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whereneverever Posted January 25, 2012 Share Posted January 25, 2012 If they have past food issues I wouldn't skip a meal to try to make them feel hungry. I think that's a really bad idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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