22 month old won't stop eating

[April2018Baby]

I’m looking for other parents who have been through similar and could give me some advice

My daughter is 22 months and has always enjoyed eating food. She does refuse the occasional meal (particularly if it’s veg) but loves most other foods

I’m having an issue with her at the moment where if there is food around (on the table, someone else is eating food, on display at a cafe) she is uncontrollable. She grabs the food, screams, shouts and throws herself on the floor. She does not give up trying to get the food and it’s exhausting. At a playgroup last week, there was cake on the side. I gave her 1 piece when she asked when we arrived and explained she could only have that bit, I then spent 2 hours trying to distract her from the cake and dealing with her screaming. In the end I left as I was so embarrassed with her behaviour as everyone kept staring and asking what was wrong with her. This is not a rare occasion, this is happening daily.

She takes food from strangers plates, takes food from her friends, if I eat she screams and screams trying to get it. It’s just a bit of a nightmare tbh, it’s almost as if she doesn’t realise she is full and just loves eating.

I’ve been advised by a Health Visitor to let her have unlimited food so she stops binging and self regulates, I have been doing this 3 weeks and at a playgroup today she ate 6 adult biscuits, crackers, cucumber, raisins, cheese and blueberries plus lots of water. That was from 9.30-11, she had breakfast beforehand of 1 wheatabix, sultanaters, a cup of milk and a slice of toast at 8.15.

TMI (too much information) Alert - her nappies are horrendous at the moment due to the volume of poo she is passing. She is having 5-7 poos a day, several of which leak and I have to change her and change her bedding. Yesterday there was so much it leaked all into her pjs and it went from her nipples to her toes!!!

Has anyone else had this?

I’m at a total loss as to what to do!

It could just be a phase, but the amount of food you've described isn't actually a lot. Blueberries, raisins, 1 weetabix, one slice of toast, none of those are filling at all. The HV said give her unlimited food. Have you? For example, offering a big bowl of porridge. If she finishes it, offer more. Same with lean meat and vegetables, or pasta, or brown bread and peanut butter. Actual filling food. Are you very slim? Do you eat like a bird? If so your impression of 'a lot of food' might be skewed.
Growing kids sometimes need a surprising amount of food.
What does her actual daily food intake look like?

I came on to agree that yes mine was like that at that age, but I think he would have eaten all that your toddler did just for breakfast.

Is she under or overweight? Exceptionally tall? Catching up after a bout of illness?

There are two things you can do, one of which is look at this as something that requires discipline (eg. It's naughty to take others food, you can't have it, etc.) or a response (maybe she needs some more food as is about to have a growth spurt). I would treat it as both.