8-year-old DD Binge Eating?

[Anonymous]

I think eliminating all sugar is the opposite of what is called for here.

[Anonymous]

Does your child want to eat hummus apples and cheese sticks? Have you tried asking her?

[Anonymous]

I think it's a red flag oreos were a very special treat and you hid them on the fridge. intentionally or not you are creating scarcity issues and making certain foods "bad" and unattainable, thus desirable.

[Anonymous]

Sugar is addictive. We don't have any sweets in our home. They have them when we go out as a treat, but not accessible. However, weight issues run in our family, but taking sweets/treats out of the household has helped shaped our mentality with food.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it's a red flag oreos were a very special treat and you hid them on the fridge. intentionally or not you are creating scarcity issues and making certain foods "bad" and unattainable, thus desirable.

OP didn't hide them. They were simply up on the fridge. We have plenty of food up on the fridge. Out of reach, but easy to see. As OP said, her kids are not denied sweets.

This is something for which I'd contact a nutritionist or a therapist who works with kids. Contact the ped for recommendations. The secrecy and eating in the middle of the night are quite concerning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it's a red flag oreos were a very special treat and you hid them on the fridge. intentionally or not you are creating scarcity issues and making certain foods "bad" and unattainable, thus desirable.

OP didn't hide them. They were simply up on the fridge. We have plenty of food up on the fridge. Out of reach, but easy to see. As OP said, her kids are not denied sweets.

This is something for which I'd contact a nutritionist or a therapist who works with kids. Contact the ped for recommendations. The secrecy and eating in the middle of the night are quite concerning.

The whole point of putting something on the fridge is it's out of reach. A kid sees that and thinks "I'm not supposed to have it." Boom, now wants to eat 12 in the middle of the night.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My six year old has eaten 10 Oreos in a row! Those things are addictive. Why did you put the leftovers on top of the fridge? I find that bizarre! I have found hidden left-over Halloween wrappers in my kids' rooms. It doesn't mean binge eating (on its own). A lot of this means that kids just don't want to disappoint us.

We parents are unintentionally going to give our children food complexes in an attempt to teach healthy eating habits. I would dial back and be very causal about food while continuing to make yummy homemade meals.

Don't attach shame to junk food.

So just leave the cookies out and let her binge eat while condoning it? As opposed to at least attempting to hide the sweets out of
Reach? Makes no sense.

PP here. Yes, leave the cookies out. Perhaps she won't binge eat if they were just left in the regular cabinet and knew they were available any time. OP listed foods she provides for her daughter (salmon, avocados, cheese sticks, nuts). Wonderful healthy foods, but somewhat low carb? It seems restrictive to me, and I can see why a child would binge on hidden Oreos! In reaction to the obesity epidemic , some parents have become so fearful of sugar. Don't let your kid feel like she's doing something "bad" by having sugar.

[Anonymous]

Eh, if the kid knows the family code at the swim club and is allowed to get an ice cream after lunch, I have trouble thinking that OP is particularly restrictive in terms of treats. That said, I did this too as a tween to some extent: my brother and I would sneak out for ice cream when we were supposed to be at the playground. My parents actually let us have a big sundae cup of ice cream after dinner every night, but we liked Baskin Robbins flavors better or something? Similarly, we would buy and hide candy. Neither of our eating has ever been disordered and we're both relatively slim as adults and -- though I still have a bit of a sweet tooth -- I'm otherwise a reasonably healthy eater. This is just to say that -- even now -- I'm not sure why I did it other than to see if I could and it wasn't a symptom of some big thing.

[Anonymous]

I was a secret eater in childhood. We had foods like ice cream and cookies in our house but they were rationed out so sparingly. I wanted them more because I was only allowed to have a little bit. I still struggle with that behavior and will do things like stay up after everyone has gone to sleep so I can eat things like chips or ice cream. It's not healthy. It has gotten a little better since I've had a kid and we don't do that type of rationing behavior in our house. When I buy things like chips or cookies they're kept out in the open and don't seem as "taboo". When I see them out I don't feel compelled to eat them but when they're hidden away I feel much more compelled to seek them out.

Just a thought.

[Anonymous]

But I think what a lot of people are missing (I'm the pp with BED) is that this 8 year old woke up in the middle of the night to eat 10-12 of the cookies. The timing is more concerning then just the eating. That is more of a compulsion I would think. Or is my gauge off? My kids have never eaten in the middle of the night past infancy but it may be in the realm of normal behavior and I just don't know. I'd say speaking with a therapist and nutritionist is a good start though. Also, make sure she's getting enough liquid. Thirst can be mistaken for hunger.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But I think what a lot of people are missing (I'm the pp with BED) is that this 8 year old woke up in the middle of the night to eat 10-12 of the cookies. The timing is more concerning then just the eating. That is more of a compulsion I would think. Or is my gauge off? My kids have never eaten in the middle of the night past infancy but it may be in the realm of normal behavior and I just don't know. I'd say speaking with a therapist and nutritionist is a good start though. Also, make sure she's getting enough liquid. Thirst can be mistaken for hunger.

This is how I feel as well. Yes, some kids have quite the sweet tooth but getting up at night to empty a package of cookies seems unusual to me.

[Anonymous]

OP doesn't seem too restrictive with the sweets to me. Some of you aren't reading her carefully enough. Also, just because she lists a bunch of healthy stuff she feeds her kids does not mean that is ALL that she feeds her kids. The kid is even trusted with the family code at the pool to buy treats.

Sugar addiction is a real thing for some people. It's never been a problem for me. I wouldn't really believe it was a real phenomenon until I met my husband. If you give me a bag of oreos I will have some and leave the rest. My husband cannot just eat one but will be tempted to eat the entire bag. If he completely cuts out sweets for a long time, he no longer craves them.

[Anonymous]

Op here. Not restrictive at all. Like I said we have ice cream and cookies around the house along with the healthy stuff. My husband thinks we should be more restrictive. And yes cookies were on top of the fridge along with the 4-5 boxes of cereal, hamburger buns, and apple sauce squeeze pouches. My DD has always been a carb addict even as a little kid. Like empties the bread basket at restaurants. I actually think it's kind of funny that the implication in some responses is that I am denying sugar. Totally not the case. I am friends with some parents who do deny sweets entirely and those kids flip out at class parties when someone brings in a treat. I actually had DDs teacher mention one kid who wasn't allowed sugar at all and he went fullblown gluttony at the class party. My kid had access to sweets and sneaks more than what is normal. 2-3 wouldn't bother me. Even 4-5 would be a lot but in the realm of normal. But 10-12 cookies or 12 bags of fruit snacks in one sitting is excessive!

I don't know what the solution is. Leaving them out doesn't help bc she will still get into them. Hiding them away or not buying at all is too restrictive. Just can't win here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op here. Not restrictive at all. Like I said we have ice cream and cookies around the house along with the healthy stuff. My husband thinks we should be more restrictive. And yes cookies were on top of the fridge along with the 4-5 boxes of cereal, hamburger buns, and apple sauce squeeze pouches. My DD has always been a carb addict even as a little kid. Like empties the bread basket at restaurants. I actually think it's kind of funny that the implication in some responses is that I am denying sugar. Totally not the case. I am friends with some parents who do deny sweets entirely and those kids flip out at class parties when someone brings in a treat. I actually had DDs teacher mention one kid who wasn't allowed sugar at all and he went fullblown gluttony at the class party. My kid had access to sweets and sneaks more than what is normal. 2-3 wouldn't bother me. Even 4-5 would be a lot but in the realm of normal. But 10-12 cookies or 12 bags of fruit snacks in one sitting is excessive!

I don't know what the solution is. Leaving them out doesn't help bc she will still get into them. Hiding them away or not buying at all is too restrictive. Just can't win here.

This is why you need to consult a professional. Talk to your ped and get a recommendation for a therapist or nutritionist who deals with issues like this. My friend's son was engaging in secretive eating, and they met with someone who gave both parents and the child some excellent strategies.

[Anonymous]

Are you sure she isn't using the code at the pool to buy friends treats? Have you confirmed that she is eating the purchased treats by herself?