Overeating in a Three Year Old

It could be a nutritional deficiency, or any number of things, from a medical condition to just a really active hungry boy with less than desirable table manners.

I would begin making a notebook of a couple of things: what time he's eating, what he has been doing (has he been playing really hard or just sitting watching tv prior to eating), and what foods he is eating (be specific: don't just say "spaghetti", say "spaghetti with ... and then specify the kind of sauce, and the basic ingredients or brand of sauce). If you can, video him on your phone or camera when he's cramming food in and stealing from his brothers. Don't make a big deal of the filming, do it in a subtle way.

What kind of food is he eating? Do you cook healthy meals from scratch, are you trying to cut calories, do you cook mostly from mixes like Hamburger Helper, etc? Does he eat snacks frequently or is he to wait until the family sits at the table for mealtime?

If this occurs at nearly every meal and happens nearly every day, I would ask your doctor, but not before you have some solid info to refer to in the form of a log or journal. If you do journal it, you may see some clues yourself.

I would also start serving the children and give them measured amounts and small courses and teach him to slow down. My DD used to stuff her face at 2 and we worked with her to use her fork, eat small bites, chew, etc. We gave her small, cut up, portions and said she could have a few more bites if she ate what she had. She would stuff an entire cheese stick in her mouth and then spit out the half-chewed cheese when it was too much and she gagged. We cut the cheese into slices. I have no idea why she did that. We don't have any eating issues in this home, and she's an average (if slightly small) sized child.

Give them water to drink and fill up on (hydration is good for them, too). Toddlers really don't need that much food overall. As they get older, they have growth spurts, but their weight gain is typically just a few pounds per year. You should also make sure he's not eating out of boredom, is getting out to play and I would give him consequences for taking his brother's food. I think talking to a pediatrician about his diet and growth is a good step. Even if he will rarely eat a veg, you need to keep encouraging him to do so. Eating a lot of refined flours or just one type of food can cause weight gain without proper nutrition. He also needs to slow down so his stomach can tell his brain that he's full.

If you don't have a snack schedule, make one. Remind the boys that they can drink water but that FOOD will not be served til snack time and then make it something healthy, like fruit, or a small portion of whole grain crackers and cheese. Put locks on the cabinets if he tries to self-serve and get rid of empty calorie snack items so he simply can't choose what you don't have.

It sounds like he is using food as some emotional support vs nutritious.

He certainly needs to learn self control and he is old enough to know what he is doing is not right.

Stealing someone else's food is out of line and contiously stuffing food into your mouth like there is no tomorrow is not right and must be stopped. I might call the Dr. and ask if he needs checked for some vitamin deficiency or if he needs some sort of counseling.

Good luck

He may have an eating illness but you need to realize that if he eats a lot his tummy may stretch out too. I would start with measured out portions. That is what we do in child care. We serve the food with a measuring cup, if a serving for an adult is 1/2 cup then it is at least half that for a child. Start with that then distract him when he has gobbled that down. It may take time for him to feel his tummy being not so hungry.

I know that if I am eating in a hurry I don't always take time to "listen" to my tummy saying it's full if I am not thinking about it.

He needs to slowly start eating the proper size portions. It will take time but it will be worth it if his tummy shrinks back down to a normal size. We eat HB helper a lot, several times per week, and I only give the kids about 2/3 of a cup for their starting serving. If they want more I take my time getting it and then the seconds are only about 1/2 cup. If they still want more I do about another 1/2 cup again. They could have had 2 cups on their plate to start but that looks like a whole lot of food and it is not needed.

They can ask if they want more and the servings should be small so they don't eat so fast.

Hi E., Thanks for the great question. I hope you don't mind but it sparked a blog post. If you want you can read it at www.AskBarbilee.com.
Perhaps he is just growing. There is nothing to worry about if you are feeding him healthy options. No one can have too many fruits and veggies.
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It really is. It sets the body up for it's entire day of food usage and cravings etc. My clients only eat one thing for breakfast. PM me if you want that info. Cereal and waffles (most likely both contain a high amount of sugars) ARE NOT FOOD FOR BREAKFAST. The breakfast industry has it all wrong. Protein and nutrients are what the brain needs first thing in the AM is soooo for kids and adults alike. Their brain gets it's fuel with the first food put in the body. Give your children (and yourself) the best breakfast possible.

E. you get to control the health and wellness of your family. If your kids are hungry let them eat, fruits, veggies, grains, WATER, it's all good for them and they can never eat too much.

B.
Family Success Coach

My DD was a very big eater at that age. She would eat more than I, sometimes by a lot. At times it concerned me that it didn't seem like she could moderate her intake at all. But the she slowed down and now she clearly does moderate. We didn't have the problem of cramming food (though she did eat fast) and there was no food stealing, but I did let her eat as much as she wanted generally. She really would eat huge quantities.

Are you giving snacks between meals on a regular basis? Is he eating a lot of empty carbs (they all do at that age) rather than a balance of protein/fat/complex carbs that can be more satisfying and will moderate blood sugar? Are you controlling the portions? He might really be hungry. There is a lot of growth going on and they are running around constantly at that age. They do need a lot of calories. You said he has only gained an inch, has he gained a lot of weight or is he burning all those calories?

I read a book that I found helpful re: kids and food, Ellyn Satter Child of Mine. That might be helpful.

I don't want to worry you and its 99% certain that your kid is just going through the phase of eating a lot before the next growth spurt (my teens were like that throughout their childhood and neither is overweight now). However, do keep an eye on him because I recently saw a program where a young boy had a rare disorder which made him feel constantly hungry! Please don't get me wrong it IS extremely rare. That said, I'm a great believer in trusting your own instincts with regards to your kids. If you are worried, keep looking for answers until you are satisfied! God Bless.

Just make sure the food is nutrient-dense and not a bunch of empty calories, and allow him to eat as needed. He is a growing boy. Limit the carbs like crackers (when my daughter eats these kinds of things they do not satisfy her and she is constantly hungry) and such and try to up his intake of veggies, fruits and protein in particular.