My five year old son is hungry ALL THE TIME!!!?

Question

My five year old son, is always hungry!! Even after he has just eaten a full meal! It can be anywhere form 10 min. to an hour after he as eaten and he is hyngry again! He weighed 8 lbs 4 oz when he was born, but since then he was about 1 yrs old, he has always been low on the height and weight charts, usually in the 10% percentile. I am of average size and my husband is on the very slim side, but he eats all the time too! Is this normal or could there be something wrong?

Answer 1

What are you feeding him?  If he is getting a primarily carbohydrate diet, there is no fat or protein to tell his appetite sensor that he is full.  

If your husband is very slim and eats all the time, it is likely that he is like my Mom, brothers and our former neighbors.  They have a higher metabolism and need to eat more calories that stay with them.  For that, more dense carbohydrates help combined with higher protein.

The only reason why my mom is normal weight now is because she had her thyroid removed.  She was always underweight, as are two of my brothers.  Incidentally, they are also more active than average as well, rarely sitting down very long.

Answer 2

of my 2 boys  one was like that  & he turned out to be the slimmer & healthier of the 2,LET HIM EAT but make it healthy food

Answer 3

no as long as everything he puts in his mouth is healthy....you are already doing that so don't worry..because if you restrict what he eats he may start eating in secret and then it might not be healthy food....

Answer 4

My boys are the same way.  My 6 year old is inthe bottom 2 percentile and he eats alot.  He is very small but burns alot of calories being very active.  As long as your son is eating healthy foods I think he should be fine.  I would mention the increased appetite at your next checkup but it is not anything I would worry too much over or set up and extra appointment for.

Answer 5

I would take him to the dr just to be on the safe side, because that can be a sign of juvenile diabetes.  However, I honestly think he is probably fine.  My 7 yr old is like that too, and is also very tall and slim.  Kids usually have a very high metabolism anyway, and really they SHOULD be eating 5 or 6 small meals a day rather than 3 big ones.  Also, if he is going through a growth spurt, he will eat more than usual also.  Kids are very in tune with their bodies, much more than adults are, and will usually only eat when they really are hungry.  They haven't had time to learn about using food as "comfort" or any of the other things that most of us adults have learned to do, rather than eating when we are actually hungry.

Answer 6

They possibly have a high metabolism. This means that they eat and eat but your body doesn't take out very many nutrients so your body makes you hungry again so you can get more. He won't be gaining weight because of the same reason. If his father has it, then it is possibly inherited. It can sometimes be unhealthy but its nothing to worry about. I suggest you see your GP or a doctor.

Another thing could be he is just eating alot like all children do before the growth spurt. However that would not explain the Father.

Aslong as he's eating alot, make sure it's healthy stuff and not too much fats, salts or sugars.

Good luck and I hope I helped

Answer 7

He could be going through a growth spurt right now and the extra food is helping.  Kids go through them where suddenly they want to eat everything but it usually levels off, just make sure to heave healthy snacks around for him to munch on.

Answer 8

I would definitely take him in to the pediatrician to get checked out. It's not normal to be hungry after eating a full meal. It's always best to err on the side of caution.

Answer 9

My 8 year old is the exact same way. He can demolish a gallon of milk a day on some days and constantly asks for snacks. I keep a bowl of apples and grapes on the kitchen table and cut-up vegetables (including celery with peanut butter spread on it) in the fridge. He can snack on those all he likes. His father and I are both slim people and my son's not getting overweight. What I've noticed is that his eating ramps up when he's going to grow. I'll notice the eating increase....and then a few weeks later, his pants are too short. I come from a family where all of the men are over 6' tall and most of the women are over 5'8." My brothers were on the smaller side, too, until they hit about 5th grade. The summer between 5th and 6th grade, one of my brothers grew 6"!!!

Your son could also just have a high metabolism like his father, and that's OK, too. If you're really worried about it, you can have them both checked for hyperthyroid....but if they're otherwise healthy, just have a lot of healthy snacks around. I say "for both of them" because kids learn a lot from their parent's eating habits, and if your son sees Dad snacking healthy, he'll be inclined to do it, too.

Answer 10

i think your son is normal

i eat when i get bored sometimes =P

so maybe next time when he asks for something to eat right after he's eaten a meal, firmly tell him no and give him an idea to do something else, such as play with a toy or color. anything to take his mind off eating all the time.

Answer 11

he's just going through a major growth spurt. Kid's are REALLY good at judging when they need to eat. just be sure you're feeding him healthful, nutrient rich foods and not junk like chips and hot dogs.

Answer 12

My brother is like that

Answer 13

My eldest is just like that! Its just a sign of a fast metabolism, nothing to worry about!

Answer 14

I think he might just be going through a growth spurt.  At that age he's kinda transitioning into a "kid" instead of a toddler.  When you go through a growth spurt (believe me) you get hungry all the time.  But if these keeps going on maybe you should go to the doctor. But for right now I say maybe give him little snacks after a meal.  A fruit-roll-up, gram-crackers, ect.  Little foods like that, because you don't want to give him a whole other meal.  i hoped this helped!!

Answer 15

Im right there with you and can assure you its normal. Im average size and my husband is just a big bear but our 6 yr old will eat us both under the table. Fortuately he eats healthy, like yours. Good luck and God help us when they are teens! LOL

Answer 16

It sounds like he has a really high metabolism. He also may be going through a growth spurt. It's great that you do healthy food choices-how about portion control? Kids that age know fairly inherently when their bodies are hungry. It actually takes a person 10 minutes to feel full after eating, so perhaps he didn't have enough at a meal, and is realizing it soon after. Also, push liquids, as it's summer. Sometimes people mistake hunger for thirst-thirst can be in the pit of your stomach and feel like hunger. Try water first, and if he's still hungry, healthy snack. :)