I have a son that is 6 he is always saying he is hungry every thirty minutes I just want to know whats wrong?

Question

I can feed him and he will eat two plates full. He is really skinny, and still says he is hungry thirty minutes later. He is a very active child.

Answer 1

My god-daugther is like that and they took her to the docs and after all the teats they found out that she is diabetic.....You might want to take him to the doctors

Answer 2

Well, that's good that he's active. Chances are, he's just a growing boy, going through a growth spurt. I was like that when I was 8-9 years old -I'd want another helping 20 minutes after eating dinner and dessert.
But if this keeps up this eating for a year or more, or starts gaining large amount of weight, you may want to get him checked by a doctor. I've heard of children having illnesses which cause them to eat excessively, but the fact that your boy is active and thin is a good sign that he isn't sick.
Also, if this is a sudden change, it could be a side effect of a medicine, if he's taken any.

Answer 3

If there is something wrong and you find out what it is, let me know. My kid does the exact same thing.

Seriously, check with his doctor to make sure everything is okay.

If the doctor give the go-ahead:

Offer him three meals a day, and two or three snacks (NOT meal-size snacks). Keep his food in proper portions for a child. Keep his meals and snacks healthy and filling (foods high in fat or high in sugar could either not offer quality nutrition for his 6-year-old energy or could cause him to just want more because it tastes good.) If he wants seconds at mealtimes, offer him seconds in the healthy stuff. For example, if he has chicken nuggets, mashed potatoes and broccoli for dinner, and he eats it all and wants more, offer more broccoli. Set limits on the amount of fatty or heavy foods he has, but offer him enough to eat so that he isn't hungry. Encourage him to drink water (it is important to drink a lot of it AND it can fill you up between meals). Outside of regular meals and snacks, if he insists he's hungry, you can offer him something very small and not fattening or sugary (a couple crackers, something like that).

Don't take this the wrong way, but little kids are known for trying to find ways to get what they want, and sometimes what they want doesn't even make total sense to us. For example, I KNOW my 3-year-old doesn't have to actually pee every time we walk in the store, but he will insist he needs to go to every public bathroom we come across. I think the sudden thirstiness he feels come 8:30 pm has less to do with actually being thirsty and more to do with wanting to push bedtime back a little more.

Even though he's claiming he's hungry, that doesn't necessarily mean he is. It could mean he's bored, he liked what he had for dinner, he has something in mind that sounds good (don't you ever eat when you aren't really hungry?)..... If he's been okay'd by his doctor, I'd work from that angle. If he's that hungry, he'll accept the healthy stuff. Even if I'm wrong and he really is hungry, there's no reason to fill him up on junk food or stuff thats not that healthy.

BTW, train him early, even if he's really skinny, to eat in a healthy way, and not too much. I was a really really really skinny kid, and started gaining weight when my metabolism slowed down as I got older and I ate like I was used to when my mom would try to "fatten me up".

Answer 4

1.He could be in a growth spurt

2. The quantity of food may not be enough even after 2 helping's,

3. He could have a stomach problem that you don't know about.

4. He could just want to eat because he sees someone else eating or you are eating when he tells you this.

5. He could have a tapeworm.

As nasty as it may sound, it is not uncommon for children to get this. According to some experts they can enter your body through unwashed fruits or vegetable's, undercooked meat or fish, touching your mouth with contaminated fingers, or by ingesting contaminated soil. (division of Parasitic Disease)

There are so many possibilities that it is hard to tell. Best thing to do is have your son's doctor check him out until you are satisfied with the answer.

Answer 5

He may just have a very quick metabolism but if he is very active he may simply need more "fuel" than most.

As long as he is eating a balanced diet with minimal treats, there shouldn't be anything wrong with him. Make sure you have healthy food at home for him to choose from for meals and snacks (fruit, veggies, cheese/crackers, yogourt, muffins, sandwiches).

Also, make sure he has plenty of fresh water to drink. Many people easily confuse thirst for hunger.

If you are still concerned about his appetite/weight, make an appointment with his pediatrician for a consultation to discuss your worries.

I'm sure he is fine but you know him best. Follow you instincts.
Wishing you all the best and a very happy holiday.

Answer 6

He's probably just growing. A growing kid + lots of activity = hungry kid! I grew fast as a kid and would eat all the time. Wait a while. If this continues for about six months or more, take him to a doctor to get checked out to make sure he doesn't have a hyperactive thyroid or anything.

Answer 7

I have a child JUST like that. Skinny as a rail but always hungry. If I ate like he eats I would be big as a house. We have decided that his eating patterns are just different from ours. We like to eat 3 square meals a day. Sometimes we (parents) might want a snack in between, but usually, our meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) are enough to sustain us til the next meal. Our son prefers to graze. Eat many small meals a day. His metabolism is very high (has ADHD) so he really needs that much food to sustain him. So we allow him to eat smaller meals at mealtime, and snack more between meals. Its normal....no worries....just make sure his diet is balanced.

Answer 8

Our six year old sounds very similar. I attribute it to mostly that he is growing... and active as well. I offer a fruit, or vegetables... as much (or little) as he wants when he says he's hungry. Often, I think he is just bored... so I'll get him distracted by something. But I've found also that, like me, if the food he is eating is high in carbs (like mac-n-cheese) he will be hungry sooner. So, we try to do foods a little lower on carbs and low on the glycemic index (low sugar, more fiber etc...)

Getting ready for the teen years! :-)

Answer 9

He's probably bord pay more attention to him play a game do some crafts let him snack on healthy food all day keep a plate of fruit or meat n cheese and water or juice out too

Answer 10

There are a few medical things it could be. He could have worms or that disease where they always feel hungry because of some chemical imbalance in the brain. Take him to the doctor to get some tests done.

Answer 11

He may have a nutritional imbalance. He may be lacking in some major vitamins and his body is craving it and he feels hungry.

Get him on some very GOOD vitamins and feed him lots of fresh fruits and veggies. That may be what it is. Many times we experience this major hunger and its being fed but not with the RIGHT things your body is needing. Often times we need WATER and our body makes us feel hungry too. Make sure he is getting WATER also.