Food

[Lindyloo]

I was just wondering if anyone else here has ever experienced the same problem.

 

My DS is constantly saying he is hungary. He will have 2 - 3 differant breakfasts in the morning (cereal at home, toast at school and sometimes something else as well), a large packed lunch and then he will have a huge dinner, pudding and then a couple of buscuits and he will still be badgering me for more food 10 minutes later saying he is hungary. He eats way more than I do. He does appear to have a quick metabolism, possibly due to the ADHD, but we reach a point in the day when I think he can not possibly still be hungry. Is it likely to be a sensory problem? Is he unable to tell when he has actually eaten enough? Or is he really just a bottomless pit with hollow legs. He is all skin and bones, with not an ounce of spare fat on him, so it must all be being burnt off somehow.

 

Thanks for your help.

 

Linda

[ScienceGeek]

I used to be the same when I was younger. I would almost constantly be eating, yet never gained any weight, in fact social services accused my parents of starving me. I used to have 3 breakfasts, 2 lunches and 2 dinners, somehow still finding space for snacks in between!! Eventually gained weight in late teens and early twenties.

[Mumble]

I can't tell when I'm hungry (unless it's really obvious because I haven't eaten for a few days and I'm starving) and just go by the time of the day to know when to eat. It means if I get absorbed in something I forget to eat unless I'm really structured in my day.

[Karen A]

Hi Linda.Ben is also constantly on the look out for food.I do not know the reason why.I wonder whether food is a bit of a fixation for him or whether he uses it to calm himself when anxious [like somone else in the family ].I do need to keep an eye on Ben's food choices because he does tend to put on weight.I try to encourage fruit and healthy snacks.

Having said that my other [NT] son also eats us out of house and home especially when he is going through a growth spurt...... He is taller than me at the age of 12 and I wish I had a metabolism like him.I would not need to spend an hour and a half at the gym to loose weight then. Karen.

[MichelleW]

I have the opposite problem! J just doesn't feel hungry and I have to encourage him to eat. He also gets so absorbed in what he is doing that he just "forgets". Then when I do try to feed mine, most of the time they won't eat much. J even turned down chocolate easter eggs over easter! In fact little un has only had a few mini chocolate bunnies (though he did nibble a hot cross bun or two - still finding them hidden around the house!) But they won't stop drinking though!

[Cariad]

I have the opposite problem! J just doesn't feel hungry and I have to encourage him to eat. He also gets so absorbed in what he is doing that he just "forgets". Then when I do try to feed mine, most of the time they won't eat much. J even turned down chocolate easter eggs over easter! In fact little un has only had a few mini chocolate bunnies (though he did nibble a hot cross bun or two - still finding them hidden around the house!) But they won't stop drinking though!

 

Same here, T hardly eats and is skin and bone. He has half a piece of toast, wastes lunch and has half his tea. I resort to giving him chocolate if he asks as he is so thin he is in 9-10 and is 13 this year!

[loobylou2]

Interesting one this thread. My DD (14) hasn't got a clue whether she is hungry or thirsty and has to be reminded all the time to eat and drink

[Lindyloo]

Thanks for the responses.

 

It is really interesting to see that there appears to be two completely conflicting sides to this one.

 

I will wait to see if anyone else adds to this. In the mean time, Luke is currently in trouble. While tidying the conservatory yesterday I found a stash of empty chocolate wrappers, where he had helped himself from the fridge (a definite no-no in our house) and then tried to hide the evidence. So he has been eating even more than we thought - and still saying he is hungry

[Brook]

Hi Linda,

 

has he had his thyroid levels checked? probably okay but I have an overactive thyroid and I am constantly hungry, I don't put on weight with eating either.

 

Having said all that my ASD son hasn't got thyroid probs and he is forever in the fridge, we are always saying he should be built like a brick **** house with what he puts away but he is like a rake

 

 

Brook

[mossgrove]

Our eldest son (Aspergers, 10) is constantly hungry and is overweight as a result.

 

Some of it is sensory. There is a significant time lag between eating a large meal and registering that he is no longer extremely hungry. He also ha difficulty distinguishing thirst and hunger.

 

He will also ask for food as it takes his mind off things when he is stressed or bored.

 

Things improve when he takes ritalin, but it is not what the ritalin was prescribed for.

 

Simon

[CarolineJ]

Bim's always had a love affair with food. When we introduced solids, he would scream between mouthfuls for more food. We would have loved an NG tube! Bim then went on to feeding himself and would eat all of his dinner (full size) and half of mine.

 

He hasn't changed. He should be morbidly obese, but thanks to his constant energy, he's not. I don't know how rolling on his head all the time keeps his weight down, but something helps. Maybe he has a fast metabolism?