[brijenn]

I was hoping to get a few opinions on how much is too much when it comes to eating.

I was discussing eating with a mom's group and we were talking about sweets. Some of the ladies were talking about some babies/toddlers they know that are really large (off the charts) and they are fed sweets and junk all day, which would explain their size. One of the ladies also mentioned a toddler in the group that is quite large for his age but he is fed only "healthy" food - just lots of it because he has a great appetite.

My question is is this child (the one with the huge appetite but only eats healthy food) at risk for weight issues in the future because he eats so much? As parents, most either allow or encourage their kids to eat as much healthy foods as possible but can that be over done? I have never heard of portion controlling a toddler but is overall consumption of food (healthy or not) something parents need to keep an eye on?

 

[Ruthla]

I would need to know more info about this toddler and his/her eating habits. Yes, it's certainly possible to overeat on healthy foods and develop a weight problem, but in toddlers, that's pretty rare. Most little people stop eating when they're full, unless they've been encouraged to "finish what's on your plate" or otherwise ignore their hunger cues.

I can think of a few possible reasons for an overweight toddler that's only eating healthy foods:

1) The child is larger than average, but just the right size for him/her.

2) There's an underlying medical problem that's affecting apptite and weight control.

3) The child has developed an unhealthy attitude about food, and is ignoring hunger cues.

 

[mlawlessg]

IMHO - yes.

My daughter was a dairy junkie. She would drink a TON of milk - and since my sister's boys never drank milk - I felt slightly superior to her

: every time dd asked for a cup I would give it to her - it never interfered with her eating so I never thought twice. At her well baby visit when she was 3 the ped asked about dairy intake - I told her how much milk DD drank and she said - that is great - she is meeting her total dairy intake with milk - and then I said - and she has yogurt, cheese and sometimes ice cream

: the doc told me that was too much dairy. DD has a great diet - not a lot of junk and a lot of fruits and veggies - and she has always been in the 90% I thought that was good. until we really restricted her dairy intake to just what she was supposed to have - and you know what? her constipation has subsided, she sleeps better, eats better sources of protein and has really slimmed down etc....

sooooo that was a long way to explain my theory that EVERYTHING should be served in moderation - I truly believe that there IS too much of a good thing.

 

[cmb123]

I really think it depends on your definition of "health food". For instance after reading the above post, I personally consider cow milk "junk food."
If the ped is saying- "hey, this kid is eating to much fruit and veggies" I'd say he's a quack, and the kid should not worry about his weight. BUT if his "healthy food" is lots of dairy, or health store versions of snack food etc...he may need to cut back a little.
I think the points that Ruthla made are the first things to look at though, expecially the one about him being just right for him.

 

[callmemama]

We're vegan and dairy definitely isn't on our list of "healthy" foods.

I think nursing on demand/cue through and beyond infancy really helps children to incorporate "eat when you're hungry and stop when you're full". This is something I still tell my 5 year old, and I think he follows it pretty well. So to answer your question, I agree with Ruthla.

 

[peaceful_mama]

my thought is look at the kid in question--is he both tall and heavy for his age? then that's probably the way he is supposed to be.

if not, yeah--some people consider lots of dairy to be 'health food.' It *is* good for you, but I think it needs moderation because of the fat content. And I have known people who were overweight who drank *lots* of milk--I mean like a half gallon a day.

Some people also consider juice to be 'health food.' IMHO juice is not *all* bad...certainly better than handing a kid a can of soda or cup of KoolAid. (I know people who let their kids drink unlimited amounts of those things too.) *but* the recommended max for any child is 4-6 oz. a day, or basically ONE glass. Some people give milk at meals and unlimited juice the rest of the day....that can lead to weight problems too. There's *lots* of sugar in juice, even if it's 100% fruit juice. Sugar is sugar, natural or not. They're better off eating the fruit, it's got fiber, takes more energy to digest, and will make them feel full longer than the juice. That was just the other thing *I* thought of.