Compulsive eating in 8 year old?

[gastropod]

I'm rather worried about my eight year old daughter who seems to be showing signs of compulsive eating (or something similar - sorry if I'm not using the right terminology).

She's always been a snacker - even as an EBF baby she would cry to be fed every hour or so, feed for a short while, and then repeat a little while later. When she was weaned she showed the same patterns but I figured that some kids are "grazers" and as she never seems to overeat at mealtimes I didn't think too much of it. But the same eating patterns are ongoing - she constantly seems to want to snack.

Since birth she's been close to the 95th centile for weight, but is also quite tall. I don't know her current weight but she's certainly heavy for her age and height (as I was as a child).

She is starting to get self-conscious and refers to herself as "fat", even though we never do.

But actually it's not her weight that I'm worried about per se, and more her eating patterns.

She eats a good varied diet but is sneaking food from the cupboards when I'm not looking, nibbling between meals, hiding food and eating it in her room. etc.

I only give her fruit and/or breadsticks as snacks for school but she somehow manages to get cakes or crisps from friends and always seems to be hungry for extra snacks.

Even if we only have so-called healthy food in the house, she'll still want to snack on that (she'll take bread, crackers or fruit, etc.)

She does loads of sport and is good at gym, dancing, etc, and certainly seems fit and well, but I'm worried that there's something compulsive about the constant need to snack. I'm at a loss how to approach this to be honest. I don't want to shame her or make her feel worse, or cause even more secret eating.

For now I've just asked her not to hide or sneak food, and to let me know when she's hungry so we can make sure she's eating a nice varied diet but not just eating because she's bored. But it's obviously not working.

I certainly don't think dieting is answer but I'm not sure opting for "healthy snacks" is the right way either. I think is this constant "need" to snack that should be addressed, but I just don't know how!

Sorry this is so long...

Snacking can become an habit and is often associated with an activity. Does she snack while watching tv, reading a book, in the car, or similar.

You could start by enforcing that eating only happens while sitting in the kitchen or at the dinning table, without books or tablets, so eating is more conscious.

Then clean your cupboards. Remove all snacks or food that can turn into a snack. Crackers, biscuit, crisps, chocolate and so on.

Then you need to address the hunger issue. Could she genuinely be hungry? Is there a difference in snacking schooldays vs weekend? What does she eat? Also consider that with sport is it a vicious circle . Sport makes you ravenous. So have something to eat to cut that hunger straight after sport. A boiled egg, an avocado, some nuts, a seed bar... In the fridge keep some kombucha , a bowl of blueberries, a container of boiled green beans, olives, real cheese which has a stronger flavour than the square one, even smocked salmon. Careful with he fruit, because again it will cause a spike and a fall in sugar and make her more hungry.

I am against the Paleo, Keto or whatever way of eating with the exception of limiting sugar in food.

Cutting sugar is a way to address the snacking without making it about weight. There are tons of documentaries and movies on youtube you could watch together and then make it a competition on who can get the lowest sugar. Who you go shopping, have her look at the ingredients and label.
Make it a family affair. The whole family adopts a healthier lifestyle.

Could she be thirsty? Our brain sometimes confuses thirst for hunger. Give her a drink first. Then see if she's still hungry.

She prob just has more appetite and interest in food (we are all different). Compulsive eating is less likely unless she has something like Pica, sensory needs or has suffered early emotional or physical neglect.

Stick to 3 meals and 3 snacks a day, with gaps in between, maybe put all her snacks for the week in one box, let her choose some more sugary or salty ones to include as well. Then you are giving her clear times and portions but teaching her to self-moderate - when she has which snack. Keep food out of sight and out of reach as much as possible. Remember that fats and sweet foods have a role in satiety/fullness. The habits will help the weight in the long term rather than excluding lots of things,

Thank you all for giving me some food for thought (sorry crap pun).
I did wonder about pica when she was smaller and I found her in the cupboard eating the flour out of the bag. But at least she doesn't do that now!
I do suspect that sugar/starch has a role to play, and am interested to find a good way to cut down somewhat. I know I get massive food cravings if I eat too much sugary stuff. It's hard because kids always seem to be being given sugary/starchy snacks. And our own paediatrician suggested we cut down on fat/protein and up the starch (!).

I wouldn't cut the starch, as I said, I am against the paleo, kept, whatever, but only make sure they are whole grains, so brown rice, brown bread (and here stop to read at the ingredients, because most wholemeal bread are actually made with white flour with the addition of bran. Only buy bread made out of wholemeal flour). The cravings you feel are given by the white and processed carbs. A ryata slice with cream cheese and some herbs salt and pepper will be a satisfactory snack. Even legumes can become snacks.

Drain a can of chickpeas, let them dry on several kitchen papers, put them in a bowl, add a tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, slat and smocked paprika and put int the oven to roast.

A good indication for her snack choices, would be fibre.

keto and not kept - autocorrector

Thirst is always one to check, they do get confused.

However I'd lay bets on her feeling deprived (psychologically not actually) because she isn't ever allowed what she wants.
Sometimes if all you want is a 2 strip KitKat but you're "on a diet" so deny yourself "naughty" foods, you'll eat far more calories in "healthy" snacks and still have an increasing psychological craving for that 2 bar KitKat...

I think I was probably your daughter - my friends had chocolate and crisps for break time snack and I had an apple. Only fruit between meals at home. I obsessed over the cooking chocolate in the baking cupboard and used to steal a square feeling desperately guilty. I still ate loads of fruit, but knowing it wasn't what I wanted. I always accepted crisps and chocolate and white bread sandwiches from friends who pitied my 1980s bad wholemeal bread and apple... As soon as I had control of money and freedom to get about on my own I bought so much chocolate...

Obviously it's good to eat healthily. However knowing that you're having your food heavily controlled and being denied things which as far as you can see "everyone" else is allowed sets up an obsessive mentality in some children and adults.

A little bit of what you fancy is so much healthier psychologically, and more sustainable, than outlawing foods.

This sounds like my 11 year old niece who has adhd. She eats carbs and sugary foods, sugar by the spoonful from the bag, sneaks anything g from the kitchen and eats in secret. We find dozens of packets/ wrappers when we tidy. She also eats big meals - always has from baby hood and will over eat/ snack to the point of being sick. She has no off/ full switch/ signal and this is common in adhd. My ex soul has had to put locks on fridge/ freezer and food cupboards. She will also lie about what she has eaten, but isn’t very good at hiding the evidence!!

Restricting food (only certain types, times or even worse locked cupboards) is only likely to increase her cravings.

I would try to increase her choice and control instead. Discuss your concerns that she feels she needs to hide her eating from you (as non-judgementally as possible) and listen to her understanding of what is happening.

Discuss with her that you think a healthy diet is important and that can include sweet treats. Let her know that she doesn't need to sneak food from the cupboards, she is welcome to it.

Perhaps get her to plan out what she wants to eat that day and what snacks she would like to have so she can see how healthy/unhealthy her eating really is. Maybe use the NHS healthy eating plate and get her to portion our her own food.

Ensure that chocolate/sugar is guilt free (but not endless) so she doesn't need to sneak/hide it. As others have said j would also make sure she gets plenty to drink and plenty protein as she sounds like she is active.