Do you have a way to teach a child to stop eating when they are full?

[Pitchounette]

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It's a very hard one, Pitchounette.

DSS1 (13) stops when he is full. If he doesn't, he throws up anyway.
DSS2 (11) just doesn't have an off button. He puts on weight very easily because he easily eats far more than he needs, without suffering any ill effects.

I was quite worried that my DD (4) was going to be the same as DSS2 - she seemed to eat an awful lot and I didn't want to regulate her eating (I believe the stuff about breastfeeding and children learning to regulate their own appetites...). But recently she seems to be stopping of her own accord, when she is full, and talks about her tummy being full and not wanting to be sick. But I keep a very close eye on her.

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DD2 is a bit like this, but is still a toddler so I think it's more the habit of asking for food, IYKWIM

But she will eat and eat, and continue to ask to eat, pretty much all the time if you let her (and isn't fussy over what it is. You could give her a packet of crisps or a bowl of fruit and she'd be hapy with either)

The bf stuff is interesting... she was bf until 16m

I'm hoping she'll grow out of it

I don't think you need to worry at this stage. my (nearly) 5yr old can eat for Britain and always seems to be hungry. They're doing a lot at this age -school, growing etc - so unless he starts to tip the scales in the overweight range I would just make sure that everything he does put in his mouth is nutritious and devoid of excess calories (as I'm sure you already do).

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you do have to remember that some children are just like that.

My brother used to eat twice the amount of anyone else in the house - and he eats like a horse now, he's never been remotely overweight.

I on the other hand put on weight like no tomrorow (though was skinny as a child).

My DS2 (5) eats for England and never stops, but he's average weight, and above average height for his age. DS1 eats even more and is tall and skinny.

Most children I have known have learnt to auto-regulate quite early. But not everyone. My elder brother has regularly eaten too much all his life, and is only now on the point of turning 50 doing something about it. He has been overweight from his mid-teens.

It seems to be an insecurity thing with him: he would always get terribly anxious as a child if there looked like not being enough food (not that there was ever a real problem with this).

Nothing to do with my parents I don't think: noone else in the family has food issues.

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Pitchounette - in our family we do that thing that everyone says you shouldn't do and talk freely and openly about the differences between people and how some of us (unluckily) are born without the off-button for food and must therefore learn to regulate by intellectualising our food intake, knowing what foods are good for us and which aren't and learning portion control by using our fist as a guideline (one fistful of protein, one of carbohydrate, two or three of vegetables per meal).

In DP's family there are a couple of tragedies to do with overweight and we are very anxious that DSS2 does not go down the same route.

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My DD is exactly the same - I fear for her weight as an adult (she is only just 2). She eats and eats until its all gone or you just stop feding her.

At the mo she is 91st for height and weight and is certainly not skinny.

Last night after she had eaten chicken, rice and vegetables followed by bananas and custard...I came downstairs eating a crumpet (was going to the gym so didn't eat with DD and DH) and she had a screaming fit until a gave her a bite.

I have always struggled with my weight (is under control at the mo and I am slim) and worry about this for my daughter.

The only way we have thought about dealing with it is for us to be an active family - ensuring lots of walks, sports activities etc so that even if she continues to eat for england the weight shouldn't be so much of a problem.

Any suggestion will be gratefully received here too!

I understand that there is some genetic component to the ability to self regulate and stop when full - so not all children can do it. I think you have to have set meal and snack times and keep an eye on portion size. They should be eating about two of THEIR fist size worth of food at each meal.

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