Is my grandson obsessively eating and what can I do to help.

[parrotrescue]

My grandson is  has some unhealthy eating habits and obsessing about food.  He eats more than most adults at a meal.

I have seen him 3 hotdogs and cake at a neighbors and within minutes he will ask for more.  He will then within an hour ask for a bed time snack.  This happens on a regular basis.  

TI think its an unnatural obsession with food and I have been trying to limit him and provide healthier snacks while he visits.   I will off a choice of apple or orange juice and he will easily pick one of them without a problem.  When my son takes him out or if you ask what would you like to drink he will say an ice capacino or chocolate milk.  These are habits that were started by his mother who insisted that is she has it then he should also be allowed to have it.  We are working on my son to change these bad habits but he also needs help to understand.

More examples.  We took him out for pizza he eat 2 big pieces and asked for more.  I told him know that he had enough.  We took the rest of the pizza home and I told him he could have another piece tomorrow.  His dad showed up to pick him up the next morning which would normally be very exciting and he can't wait to go with him.  But instead he got upset because he hadn't gotten his pizza yet.  

We often eat late, 7-8pm .  He will eat dinner with us and claim he is full then within minutes, he will ask for a bed time snack.  

As they lived a fair distance away from me, I did not see his eating habits as an infant but did find out at young age his mother was buying him ice cappacino's and he was allowed to have anything an adult did regardless of nutritional value.
These habits have been ongoing since he was very small.  

At 3 yrs old mom and dad split up and dad has custody.  Dad believes its only high energy and he needs the extra food to compensate for his energy levels.  He is very stocky and overweight but does have a high energy level.

[shinydolphin6789]

Hello! Okay, I'm no doctor, but I'm a human being and I'm going through some bad relationships with food myself and here's what I can say:
1. BE MORE IN-TOUCH WITH HIM: If you just tell him that he should start eating right, most likely, he'll ignore it so try to make an effort to spend the day with him somewhere. Like go to the mall with him and instead of stopping at an ice cream place, go to Subway where you can choose your own sandwich toppings and stuff. BE FIRM. I have this issue where I don't eat much vegetables and now it's hard for me so while he is young, you have to HELP HIM OUT ALREADY or else it'll be harder in the future for him.
2. EXERCISE WITH HIM: If you aren't really into strenuous exercises, that's okay. You can take some MILD exercises like walking in the park or around the neighbourhood. But remember to watch what you do too okay? Don't tire yourself especially if you have your own health conditions too.
3. INCENTIVE: Example, if your grandson promises to eat only healthy foods for one week, you give him something nice like a trip to a movie or a new toy (that isn't SUPER expensive of course!). NEVER GIVE HIM A GALLON OF ICED CREAM AS AN INCENTIVE, of course.
4. DO FUN ACTIVITIES: Of course, kids like to play but here's a way where you hit two birds with one stone. You tell him to help with cleaning the house for an incentive. Tell him to help you wash the dishes or cook healthy foods with him. I learned that by cleaning the house you can really burn calories! :)
TIPS AND TRICKS:
1. take his mind off food! Go to a movie, go play, and get his mind off food
2. Tell your son FIRMLY about grocery lists! DO NOT BUY foods with empty calories like iced cream or chocolate
3. SUBSITUTE:
iced cream=yogurt
milk chocolate=dark chocolate (that's what the grown-up's eat!)
pork=chicken
*you can also sneak food into his diet, you know? Dessert can be apple pie, snack time can be fruit juice (the ones you squeeze yourself and add honey to?) and a turkey sandwich
THIS IS NOT GOING TO BE EASY, BUT IT WILL HELP. OF COURSE, CONSULT YOUR PEDIA FIRST BEFORE TAKING IN THESE SUGGESTIONS JUST IN CASE. I AM IN A DIFFERENT AGE GROUP FROM YOUR GRANDSON AND THEREFORE HAS DIFFERENT NEEDS
GOOD LUCK!! I Wish you guys the best because I hated being fat and unhealthy! Start now before it's too late PLEASE?! Thanks! :)

[Renee Radenberg]

His weight is above the 95th percentile and his height is between the 90-75th percentile for his age. For his age he needs 1800 calories per day to grow and is eaten as three meals and snacks between meals.. It is recommended to increase children's physical activities (play, dance, sports) to lose weight, and not lower calorie intake due to the need of calories for growth. Limit time in front of the TV or non-active-video games. There have been studies showing the longer the length of time a child sit in front of the TV, the greater the weight gain. Limit high sugar drinks/snacks, and try replacing with milk/yogurt or fruit/popcorn/low-fat cheese. Additional suggestions: cook only low fat meats (chicken, fish, loin of pork) or non-meat sources (soy products, nuts), low fat vegetarian combinations (rice & beans, pasta & beans, low fat cheese & pasta), fat free or low fat dairy products (skim milk, 1% milk, low fat cheese, low fat yogurts, low fat soy milk/yogurt), use plant oils, non trans-fat margarines, and eat a lot of fruits and vegetables. Eat daily high fiber breads and cereals (oatmeal) and limit ‘junk’ foods.