Does anyone out there 2 year old do this... my 2 year old daughter eats like every meal is her last! She......

Question

My 2 year old daughter eats every meal like it is her last. She literally crams things down with both hands, and you can hear her swallow it in big gulps. She is not chewing most of the time, she just swallows. She will eat all 24 hours of a day if you let her, and she can drink a 32 oz soda down and then another within an hour. She has a ferocious appetite! But yet she is only 25 lbs! I have seen her drink down a cup of soda without taking a break once! It is not normal. I have told the doctor this and she seems unphazed. My daughter's diapers sometime has whole chunks of food where she didn't chew it ! Is this normal?

If you don't give her the food, she cries and whines. It's alomost like she doesn't realize she's full!

Answer 1

I don`t thik this is normal. She could have worms or a rare disorder etc. (there is one Ive heard of where the kid dosent register that they are full).
Go see another Dr, and in the meantime don`t give her soda. Its not good for even adults. Actually, if her diet is high in sugar she will be eating alot to get her adrenal fix, but not nessacaraliy putting on much wieght.
Go see another Dr and explain her regular diet to them also.

Answer 2

If you have confidence in your doctor and she is unfazed, I'd relax a little!
My daughter also loved food as a toddler (everything except zucchini; heck, I didn't even know what a zucchini was until I was in my mid-20s!) and she was one of the slimmer, taller kids in her peer group. She was (and still is) also a bundle of energy! (These kind of kids need those calories to fuel their engines!)
But I would be a little concerned about her gulping down chunks of food; after all, she could choke! What about really steaming stuff until it's quite soft, or mashing up veggies with potatoes, for example? And then try influencing her to change her eating habits. For example -- read her a book or make up a story about the little rabbit who nibbles, nibbles, nibbles at its carrot. Make it a game: how many times can you chew that...count to whatever...And when she does, lay on the praise!
Is she as enthusiastic about drinking water (you can squeeze a bit of lemon in it to give it a taste -- only if necessary!), fruit and/or vegetable juices?
Soda is NOT food. It's full of sugar, totally unnecessary chemicals and additives which can contribute to hyperactivity. It is one of the worst things you can do to your teeth. I'd start weaning her away from the soda. It won't be easy because it IS addictive. But at least reduce her soda intake (make it more a treat than a thirst quencher; in fact, it is exactly the opposite -- the sugar content actually makes you thirstier!).
Undigested food will go all the way through your digestive system, simple as that. As long as it's not causing constipation or other discomfort, it's more important to deal with it at the other end.
Good luck!

Answer 3

My daughter went through the same thing. She's four now and I have to yell at her to finish everything on her plate. There are some things that she will wolf down and others that she gets really picky about. She's always been as skinny as a beanpole, even when she was eating like her stomach was a bottomless pit. We also had the chunks of food in the diapers. Whole noodles, chunks of apple, even meat. It was really gross.

Two years old is the age when they are just getting used to walking, running, jumping, etc. It's fairly new on their little bodies and they grow a lot during this age. As long as your daughter is eating healthy food (not soda), I wouldn't be concerned about her eating so much. Enjoy it while it lasts because pretty soon you're going to be begging her to finish what you served her.

Answer 4

Maybe you should try feeding her, allowing her only small bites from a spoon at a time, explain to her to chew her food before she swallows. If she eats slower she might eventually feel full. My almost 3 year old don't eat big meals at once, but she snacks about every 2 hours, mostly fruit, crackers, cheese etc, and she drink a lot of fruit juice or tea. Try to give her healthy snacks more often and keep the soda away. Good Luck!

Answer 5

I am having the same problem with my 19 month old. He is hungry all of the time. I don't give him any soda though but, he does drink quite a bit too. The doctor hasn't really said anything to me either when she was told that he was eating like that. I think that they go through certain phases like that. In the past he has gone through where he has not wanted to eat hardly anything and then he wants to eat us out of house and home. I would not worry about it unless she is still doing it ongoing for a long time. She is still young.

Answer 6

i have one kid that has never liked eating and for the last several years has had a tendency to only eat every-other day. (she is 5, above average height, healthy weight, always does great at doctor's visits) when she does eat, she eats several full meals with second helpings and lots of snacks.
my other kid on the other hand would rather eat than anything. it doesn't matter if it is healthy or not. ever since she could walk, every place we go, she goes straight to the nearest fridge to view her options in case she wants to eat. if you want to get her attention but she is ignoring you, offer food. if you want her to go somewhere but she won't, i just hold food out in front of her and she follows the food. i had to put a lock on the fridge when she was younger because if i left the room, she would quickly pull everything out of there and arrange it all in the living room. she is 4 and also is above average height but is the perfect weight for her height and is very healthy at all check-ups.
what i am getting at is that when kids are very young, they eat until they are full and only eat when they are hungry. they have not yet learned to eat for comfort, etc like adults do. eating disorders are a learned behavior not an inborn trait.
the only problem i see here is that she doesn't chew enough and could be risking choking. i would suggest trying to teach your kiddo how to chew better and that you take a first aid course just in case.

Answer 7

You let your 2 year old have 32 oz of soda? But she may be going through a growing phase and need more calories than she did before.

Answer 8

wow! it's great that she has a good appetite, particularly at this age as they become quite fussy when it comes to food. i would be concerned as well with the 'gulping' of food. she may choke or put something in her mouth (small bone) and swallow it quickly without realising it is mixed with the food. she is probably old enough now to understand if you try explaining that she has to eat the food slower and not gulp.....it's probably even worth getting a second opinion of a pediatrician.

Answer 9

Then she must not realize that she's full, and you're going to have to start dealing with the problem at home yourself if no one is listening to you.

There are a few illnesses that cause this problem. Your child has no ability to feel full, they always feel hungry, and when you're hungry, you're in pain.

Tell the doctor.. tell them that you've heard that there's an illness that makes people never feel full and you want her checked for them and you want it done NOW..

in the meantime, limit what she eats. I know it's going to be hard to do, because she's 'hungry' but you have to do it.

Answer 10

my 21 month old daughter does this also she eats practically as soon as she opens her eyes in the morning whether it be toast crumpets or cereal then she eats a yoghurt then cheese then at lunch time she eats constantly i cant get her to stop she stands in the kitchen stomping her feet at the bikkie jar and for chips or chocolate then dinner time comes around and she eats everything on her plate and like tonight she came to my plate when i finished and she ate what i left then she went to bed with a bottle. Everyone tells me this id fine and not to worry about it.