8 Year Old Doesn't Stop Eating, Anyone Else Dealt with This?

This sounds like it might be more than an emotional issue. There is a "chemical" mechanism that tells the brain when the stomach is full and if there is a malfunction there, she will feel hungry all the time.
Certainly a pediatrician should be seeing about her disorder and maybe she needs to have an endocrinology work up, testing to see that she is not diabetic or having a thyroid issue.

Do not wait to think this will change without some intervention. This will have life long devastating results if you don't get on this right away. Very recently there was a child on a TV talk show who was 9 years old and had a very similar problem and was grossly obese. I'm sorry it escapes me what show it was on. I'm thinking maybe a Dr. Phil or Dr. Oz, but it could have been something else, but it needed medical intervention.

It didn't affect just the child, but the whole family, socio-economically impactful too.
Blessings to you, this cannot be easy to go through.

I would start with the pediatrician as that doctor knows her medical history. It is worth the time spent in the waiting room - or maybe, if the weather is nice, you could wait outside the office in order to avoid the germs.

Other things that come to mind - is she stress eating?
You mentioned in another post that you were divorced two (or so) years ago. Did her eating habits change after the divorce? or has she always eaten like this?

Kids, like adults, will eat to fill a psychological void. Talk to her also, find out what she is feeling/thinking when she is "hungry" and/or eating.

Good luck - hoping it is nothing serious.

I know you don't want to start with your pediatrician...however that would be the best place to start. They can run the blood tests and urine tests, etc that could then tell you what kind of doctor she might need to see.

If it is her hormones then you can get a good recommendation for a specialist from your pediatrician.

I totally trust my pediatrician who has held my hand through lots of childhood bumps in the road and always sent me to the very best practices when we needed a referral. (By referral I mean knowing who to send us to see...our insurance doesn't require a pedi visit first and I could go straight to a specialist, but I like to know who the best is to take my kids to see).

So, my advice is to start there, get the tests out of the way and then move on to a specialist.

Start with your pedi and then move forward with any testing. Why do you question going to your pedi first? No brainer in my mind.

What she is doing is not normal. Most people understand when they've had enough good and they stop overindulging.

Moderation is key. Why do you allow her to overindulge at birthday parties and at home? Don't keep junk food in your house. If she's really hungry... a piece of fruit, yogurt, or veggies should be plenty to fill her up.

I don't understand why you don't want to go to you pedi for starters. Screw insurance..., find out what is going on with your child.

This is not the time to pinch pennies and wait to see what happens . Health and safety should be priority and you need help to get her over eating under control

She may need a blood work up as well as other tests to see if this is a physical or mental/emotional issue. Either way.. You need medical guidance

I would talk with her pediatrician. That would be my first step. Find out from them which route to take. They may have some labs done so that they can get a baseline for her thyroid, etc. I wouldn't self-refer to a doctor. I would talk with the pediatrician first. Express your concerns and let them guide you. If you don't get what you need from your pediatrician, it might be time to try a different doc.

Absolutely YES to the things recommended so far:

See her pediatrician first. Be SURE to get her blood sugar checked in case part of her problem is a need to keep her sugar up. And possibly see a pediatric endocrinologist to see if she has the condition --which also popped into my mind as it did someone else's -- where she never feels "full" at all.

And you and dad need to sit down, today, and list ANYthing that has changed in the past months as she has gained so fast: Stresses at home, at school, a friend moved away, school got harder this year, maybe she's being teased about her size or other things? New sibling, new house, money issues you discuss in front of her--anything?

Remember -- what seems like "nothing" or trivial worries to an adult can seem like the end of the world to a child this age; eight is an age of transition, stress and even drama for many kids, so don't discount even small changes or stresses as possible triggers. She may need some age-appropriate counseling about her relationship with food and the use of food as crutch and comfort. Don't try to do it all by yourself; get help.

And please don't treat it just as a disciplinary matter! She is not being bad or naughty on purpose; she is eating out of some physical or emotional need. Finding that need is vital or she will gain more and more and shedding it will be harder and harder.

Find things to praise about her. Even if you feel, as an adult, as if "Gee, I'm constantly praising tiny things that should just be normal!" go ahead and praise her anyway -- kids are fragile at this age. If she does a chore well, note it to her. If she does something nice for her brother, however small, thank her for it. Be sure she knows that you see her beyond her weight (because you ARE going to have to give her weight a lot of attention to get this problem solved, so be sure to engage her on other levels as much as you can so she knows there is more to her than her body).

Does she have activities and hobbies? Active things are great of course, but don't discount mental activity like Girl Scouts, school clubs or groups, things that get her outside her own head and involved with other kids who share her interests.

Yes to clearing out food in your home so that tempting foods are gone and she cannot access food on her own. Try not to make a huge deal of "locking down the food" but do end your kids' open access to pantries and fridges, period. No kid should be able to wander in and reach for a nosh on his or her own.

And one last thing -- why is she even able to eat other kids' snacks at school?? Our schools have strict "no sharing of any food, ever" policies, mostly due to food allergy concerns. See if her school has such a policy and it's not being enforced. When and where are kids doing all the snacking you mention? In classrooms? Why? In elementary my child was able to snack in class but only at very specific times of day; if that's the case here, you must involve her teacher who has her during snack and say that kids need to stop sharing snacks. This will not make you popular but it needs to stop among ALL kids, frankly. It's too bad your school does not ban birthday treats -- some parents hate these bans but they do serve a purpose; if a class of 30 kids has 30 birthday treats over the year, that is a ton of junk. Volunteer at every party (it sounds like you already do -- great for you, keep it up!).

Try to involve your child in her own health. This is where an experienced counselor, used to handling kids with eating issues/emotional eating, could be very helpful, and so could a pediatric nutritionist; get them to help you empower your daughter so SHE is interested in being healthy. Do not, do not, do not let her start to equate healthy only with being thin. Involve her in shopping and cooking and learning about recipes. But this has to be part of a whole-family clearance of junk foods (sorry, but you and dad and brother have to participate--hard, I know!). A dietitian or nutritionist can help so much. But the pediatrician, and a counselor, are the starting points.

Please update us!

My sister used to nanny a girl who had Prader-Willi Syndrome. A very rare disease that makes you continue to eat and not feel full.
It IS possible that there is an actual medical condition that's making your daughter overeat. It could also be stress, as others have said!
I hope you can find out quickly what is causing it, it sounds like you've done a good job of trying to fix this on your own but that it might be time to ask for help from her doctor.
Good luck!

My son had a big appetite and in particular, put on a lot of weight between the ages of about 7 and 8.... and was considered obese by the charts.. That said, he was always eating "healthy food" in fact, never a real soda or juice drinker, not into candy... BUT.. the portions he ate were big... He did like pasta and bread and of course, as we all know or are finding out, those types of foods drive the hungry, cause the insulin to go up and the fat to remain or be gained.. He's now 12 and for the last year, no longer eats BIG portions (his choice) limits his carbs and well, definitely gets more exercise. However, exercise alone won't do it, as your body becomes more insulin resistance by virtue of eating sugar and the white flour products, even whole grains to some degree and certain high sugar fruits (mangos, yellow bananas, etc) you keep the fat on...

You can begin to incorporate more protein in your DD's diet and that could help in warding off the spike in blood sugar/insulin, which once the sugar level goes down, she wants more to eat.. it may also mean planning each and every meal out, make her 5 small meals (this includes snacks) ...
our approach has been to begin the day with some protein (eggs for breakfast) as oppose to cereal, which we never eat.. then a snack, lunch may have some type of carb, but never too much, snack again, protein and veggie for dinner..
don't get me wrong, my son enjoys a carb or a sweet, but he didn't incorporate that type of food back into his diet, until he lost about 20lbs... now, he can enjoy what he wants, but he still SELDOM ever eats a plate of pasta or slice of pizza.. he has learned that those foods just don't do it for him.
Your DD is younger, so she'll need more help.. but as a family and with meal planning, she can do it. Also, the first week will be the toughest as your body is detoxing and her cravings for food may skyrocket... during that week, you ll have to keep extra busy to keep her mind off the food..
lastly, I wouldn't even tell her you are changing up her diet, instead, just make it a family affair and seem natural.. you never want a child to speak that you are singling them , esp for weight issues. (that's been my exp at least)

good luck

Are there troubles at home? Divorce? Any reason she may be turning to food to self medicate? Definatly time for professional help if you think this could be the case. Emotional eating is very very real. Help her get on top of it before she ruins her life over this. This is not about vanity, this is serous stuff. Vascular health, and a life of hating her own body.

Help her recognize real hunger vs. emotional hunger. With real hunger your tummy has a burning sensation or even gurgles. Emotional hunger does not. Real hunger, even healthy fresh fruit sound good, emotional hunger only calorie rich, usually processed foods and sweats sound good. Find a book that can help you help her to recognize the difference. These are hard things for an 8 -year-old to have to deal with. But better to deal with it than have a 250 lb young lady and all the emotional difficulty and health problems that come with morbid obesity.

In the mean time, I would start a very strict set of rules to keep it in check. Enforce them when you can, talk to teachers to help you enforce your rules.

Eat only at meal time- no snacking unless its fresh fruit or vegetables. She's 8, not 2. So she can go without a snack. I realize these days they do snack at school. Make if fruit.

No after dinner snacking

No eating while standing or engaged in other activietes like t.v.. Only eat at the table and on a plate. No eating cake from the pan etc.

desserts occasionally, not daily

only one portion of dessert in one sitting

Don't even have certain foods in your house if they cause trouble, if she begs for them, sneaks them, etc.

Sorry mama. These are hard things to deal with. Don't forget to pray about it. I also once struggled with emotional eating and eating disorders. Mine did not start this young. I read a book that helped me turn it around called: how to be naturally thin by eating more. It deals more with career dieters so not appropriate for an 8 year old per say, but she did do a very good chapter on recognizing real vs. emotional hunger. I suggest you pick this book up, or one similar to help her know the difference. Then practice eating only with real hunger and never with emotional hunger. Easier said than done, but its a skill she needs to learn.

She can't eat if she's tumbling, cheering, or playing softball. Get her active. Good luck

I think you need the assistance of a medical professional here. If you are the one limiting her food intake, it will soon become a power struggle between the two of you, which will only intensify her food issues. See if there is a group in your area or a therapist who works with kids around food issues. She should also have a complete check-up to see what underlying medical issues there may be.
Other ideas are to get her involved in sports - slowly at first, then more intensively. It will speed up her metabolism to burn some of those calories before they turn into fat. You can also switch to whole grains - rice, flour for homemade pizza, noodles, etc. It takes a few weeks adjustment, but is much healthier and more filling.

Hi T., I see that you're from Forest Hills. I grew up nearby and went to Forest Hills High School.

Has your daughter always been this way? I would suggest a visit to her doctor, to rule out any medical cause for the constant hunger and recent weight gain.

Eating other kids' snacks at school? That shouldn't be allowed. I work at an elementary school, and that's not okay. Kids shouldn't be eating each others' food and parties should be infrequent.

Some kids eat because they're bored. Some kids just can't stop themselves when they've started. Some gorge on junk when it's forbidden.

Please make sure that she gets plenty of physical activity. Make sure that she's eating healthy meals and snacks, and teach her about portion control. My oldest is best friends with someone who was just like this through her childhood. If there were chips out in a bowl, she's just keep eating them til they were gone. I can remember telling this girl, when she was around 12, that she didn't need a fourth slice of pizza when she was at a party at our home. She never learned how to control her own eating.

Teach your daughter that we don't need to eat when we are bored, and that we don't need to eat the moment that we think we are hungry - drink a glass of water and go run around and play for 20 minutes and then think about whether you really need a healthy snack then.

Good luck

My daughter is a big healthy eater. She is in good solid shape with the exception of the tummy area. In October, the doctor didn't say anything about her weight and in fact never has.

My daughter is however, extremely active. She does a sport about 5 days a week and on the other two, it is possible she is in the front rolling around on a bike or inline skates.

In my experience, they stock up on anything they can get their hands on just before a growth spurt. Sometimes it take a while, but eventually they grow. My daughter just grew 1" in 3 months. Not literally, but her last measurement was 3 months ago and she had not grown. Then one day she said she thought she grew. I checked and she grew an inch. I would take this to be the beginning of my daughters growth spurt.

With that, have your daughter's feet grown? My daughter's feet always grow first. This time around, she went from a 5 to a 7.5 and the roller blades we bought her last night were 8's. For perspective, she is 4'8.5".

I wouldn't hold her back from eating pizza, but feel 1 slice of cake is enough. It is better for her to have the pizza than the cake. As well, I would cut back on the pizza to 2 to 3 times a month. I know it is a birthday party favorite, but if she goes to a party, that counts too. Serve a healthier meal and let her dish up all she wants. I like to add spinach to my daughter omelets. At first she pulled it out, but I cut it up pretty small and now she just eats it. I usually like to give her a protein source, a vegetable (I don't count corn), and a starch. She eats normal portions of this serving, however, will indulge on pizza like you mention. I have also stopped buying the morning danish and muffins. We are currently on a healthier kick and in no time she slimmed down at the waist, however, still has the little belly bubble. She says she feels better without the bulge.

Best Wishes.

I think the first thing you need to do is have an honest discussion with your daughter about your concerns. She is old enough to understand that there are consequences for over eating. Talk to her about her cousin eventually having insulin shots; show her pics on the internet of people who have lost a leg due to diabetes; make her understand how serious this issue is.

Then, support her in learning how to eat properly. Do not forbid her from having the things she loves, but teach her how to eat in moderation. And start exercising with her but make it fun. Both of you get on a bike and go for a rigorous bike ride. Or do a fast walk around the block a couple of times - make it a fast walk race. No running - no need for that. Walking is one of the very best exercises you can do. Also, when she's hungry between snacks, encourage her to drink water. Have her talk to her cousin about what she now HAS to do because of the diabetes. Kids believe it when it comes from one of their peers.

You need to get her mineral supplements, as well as vitamins. Then you need to NOT focus on the amount of food. Period. Some supplements can be added to food without destroying their properties. Some have to simply be swallowed.

She is anxious about something? Finding first a homeopathic remedy for stress and anxiety would be your best bet before going gung ho on scripted meds that alter far more than just her mood.

You need to work on a protein intake - recommending protein for her last two meals of the day, as well as some protein and carbs to start the morning. Being only 8, I would say leave off on meat altogether; it distracts her body from digesting foods that she can benefit from (vegetables etc.) Most children aren't able to fully digest meat until they are 10 or 12. Their bodies spend too much energy on trying to digest animal protein FIRST and the rest of the vitamins get let through to be eliminated instead of absorbed.

In having protein (beans, lentils, etc.) last two meals, be sure enough water is consumed that the body can convert them into active nutrition, also.

to give you another thought:

McDonald's Fries overseas have 3 ingredients.
McDonald's Fries here in the states have 17. One of which is methyl_______. (sorry can't remember the word).

In either case, overheated oil used to cook foods creates acrylamide (Mercola.com) a poison. Trying to digest the poison on top of everything else leads to the body stashing some things and losing other things it shouldn't.

You need to turn that around for your daughter, or in deed she will follow her cousin's pathway.

www.olszta.com will give you much to read and help you along your way.

Good Luck,
M.

My 9 year old daughter is doing the same thing. I tell her that if she is hungry she needs to make healthy choices at least. She can have a boiled egg, string cheese, fruit, almonds... My daughter is also very tall. She just turned 9 last month and she is already 5 feet tall. I'm only 5'4 so she will be taller than me! I did talk to her dr. about it because in the last year she gained 15 pounds. Her dr. said she is also very muscluar and very tall for her age. She also said it's normal for girls to gain some weight a year or so before getting their period. Her dr. is not worried about it and she is still pretty slim even though she had all that weight gain. My daughter is built more like my husband. My husband is very strong, but as a kid was not a stick figure either. My son who is 6 is more like me. He is only in the 30%. He is very skinny and short. I was super tiny as a kid