ADHD tween binge eating

[Anonymous]

My daughter has had “first dinner” and “second dinner” all through middle school. This is not a big deal to me at all. But she had a lot of relatively healthy things for those two dinners. If she says she is starving, I ask her to go for some protein or fruit before the chocolate cake. But she doesn’t have a weight problem. She is 75% percentile for weight, which has always been her number. And she is 95% for height.

You seem to have a lot of weight gain here and a lot of access to junky food. This is worth talking to a doctor about. But don’t take away 2 healthy dinners for an active kid in middle school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My daughter has had “first dinner” and “second dinner” all through middle school. This is not a big deal to me at all. But she had a lot of relatively healthy things for those two dinners. If she says she is starving, I ask her to go for some protein or fruit before the chocolate cake. But she doesn’t have a weight problem. She is 75% percentile for weight, which has always been her number. And she is 95% for height.

You seem to have a lot of weight gain here and a lot of access to junky food. This is worth talking to a doctor about. But don’t take away 2 healthy dinners for an active kid in middle school.

I’m not OP but my DS with ADHD has binge eating. It is a completely different thing than what you are describing. You are describing a healthy, normal appetite.

I get that if you don’t have experience with binge eating, it’s hard to understand.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My daughter has had “first dinner” and “second dinner” all through middle school. This is not a big deal to me at all. But she had a lot of relatively healthy things for those two dinners. If she says she is starving, I ask her to go for some protein or fruit before the chocolate cake. But she doesn’t have a weight problem. She is 75% percentile for weight, which has always been her number. And she is 95% for height.

You seem to have a lot of weight gain here and a lot of access to junky food. This is worth talking to a doctor about. But don’t take away 2 healthy dinners for an active kid in middle school.

I’m not OP but my DS with ADHD has binge eating. It is a completely different thing than what you are describing. You are describing a healthy, normal appetite.

I get that if you don’t have experience with binge eating, it’s hard to understand.

Well, I have a lot of expertise being an obese binge eater myself. And honestly, it isn’t clear to me that the OP is actually describing binge eating versus pretty normal teen eating. She may be an unreliable narrator. Saying things like her teen eats when the parents aren’t watching and eats basically a dinner right after school seem more like she has her own eating issues than her tween does. What teen has to not eat until their parents get home? This sounds nutty to me. And I have no idea what this “enormous” amount is the kid has gained. This is why I suggested she talk to a doctor who can look at this situation. Most of what she describes would apply to all the 13 year old girls that come to slumber parties and go to our beach house. They put down large amounts of food and eat two dinners.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My daughter has had “first dinner” and “second dinner” all through middle school. This is not a big deal to me at all. But she had a lot of relatively healthy things for those two dinners. If she says she is starving, I ask her to go for some protein or fruit before the chocolate cake. But she doesn’t have a weight problem. She is 75% percentile for weight, which has always been her number. And she is 95% for height.

You seem to have a lot of weight gain here and a lot of access to junky food. This is worth talking to a doctor about. But don’t take away 2 healthy dinners for an active kid in middle school.

I’m not OP but my DS with ADHD has binge eating. It is a completely different thing than what you are describing. You are describing a healthy, normal appetite.

I get that if you don’t have experience with binge eating, it’s hard to understand.

Well, I have a lot of expertise being an obese binge eater myself. And honestly, it isn’t clear to me that the OP is actually describing binge eating versus pretty normal teen eating. She may be an unreliable narrator. Saying things like her teen eats when the parents aren’t watching and eats basically a dinner right after school seem more like she has her own eating issues than her tween does. What teen has to not eat until their parents get home? This sounds nutty to me. And I have no idea what this “enormous” amount is the kid has gained. This is why I suggested she talk to a doctor who can look at this situation. Most of what she describes would apply to all the 13 year old girls that come to slumber parties and go to our beach house. They put down large amounts of food and eat two dinners.

Sneaking food
Eating huge amounts
No impulse control
Enormous weight gain

I have one teen with ADHD who also binges and I have one teen who does not. Guess which one this sounds like.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My daughter has had “first dinner” and “second dinner” all through middle school. This is not a big deal to me at all. But she had a lot of relatively healthy things for those two dinners. If she says she is starving, I ask her to go for some protein or fruit before the chocolate cake. But she doesn’t have a weight problem. She is 75% percentile for weight, which has always been her number. And she is 95% for height.

You seem to have a lot of weight gain here and a lot of access to junky food. This is worth talking to a doctor about. But don’t take away 2 healthy dinners for an active kid in middle school.

I’m not OP but my DS with ADHD has binge eating. It is a completely different thing than what you are describing. You are describing a healthy, normal appetite.

I get that if you don’t have experience with binge eating, it’s hard to understand.

Well, I have a lot of expertise being an obese binge eater myself. And honestly, it isn’t clear to me that the OP is actually describing binge eating versus pretty normal teen eating. She may be an unreliable narrator. Saying things like her teen eats when the parents aren’t watching and eats basically a dinner right after school seem more like she has her own eating issues than her tween does. What teen has to not eat until their parents get home? This sounds nutty to me. And I have no idea what this “enormous” amount is the kid has gained. This is why I suggested she talk to a doctor who can look at this situation. Most of what she describes would apply to all the 13 year old girls that come to slumber parties and go to our beach house. They put down large amounts of food and eat two dinners.

Let’s just assume the parents who post here are reliable narrators.

[Anonymous]

How much weight has he gained? What is his current height and weight? Is his doctor concerned?

So many posters on here have their own disordered eating that itis hard to know if it is an actual issue or just their own perception that is disordered.

[Anonymous]

It would be helpful to know what he eats for his meals. If his breakfast is cereal and a piece of fruit and his lunch is something carby like pasta and a bag of popcorn, then I would up the protein and healthy fats to help him stay satisfied. Make an egg/potato/vegetable casserole for breakfast, teriyaki meatballs with brown rice for lunch, and deviled eggs for an after school snack.

[Anonymous]

talk to your pediatrician or psychiatrist about a glp1. Wegovy is approved for 12+. There are psychiatric benefits for glp1 as it reduces food noise and that impulse to binge eat.

Trizepatide is better but not approved for under 18 yet.

I say this not to weight shame but to reframe. Binge eating is a compulsion, not a conscious choice. ADHD brains seek quick dopamine which binge eating fulfills. Glp1 cuts down on the reward mechanism for food. Hence, a low dose may help curb the behavior.