Experience with food gorging?

I would have him evaluated by an OT for oral sensory seeking. My Jelly Belly is 20 months old and is the same way. She will meltdown when her plate or sippy cup is empty. She doesn't ever feel full and will have full blown temper tantrums if you come out of the kitchen empty handed. She hasn't started her therapies yet but some advice given to us already is to give her drinks VERY cold. Put ice cubes in it if we have to. It's supposed to help stimulate nerves in the mouth to fulfill her needs. It hasn't worked yet but hopefully you can get your kiddo evaluated and get some therapy to help him through this.

Sounds a lot like our almost 2.5 yr old FS. He would eat ALL THE TIME if he could... but it all goes right through and he has huge blow outs. We have been working through it by giving small portions at a time and trying to slow him down. For snack times, we try to give really filling foods, or foods that take a long time for him to eat. (For example, eating a yogurt with a small spoon takes a lot longer than raisins where you can shove them in by the handful.) We also realized that he doesn't know the difference between hungry and thirsty. When he complains about being hungry, we always offer him water or milk first. Almost always after drinking he's off and playing again. RE: limiting, a lot to me would depend on activity level. Our toddler is extremely active, so it makes sense he has a good appetite.

Our FD came to us when she was just under two years old. I swear she would eat half her body weight in a meal. Fortunately she wasn't picky, so I gave her lots of veggies which do take longer to eat and are good for her. She's been with us a year and she stopped gorging just a couple of months after she came. She still is a little weird about food though, always wanting to hold some extra or have it nearby.

I don't know that I would limit food right now. Just give very healthy foods, and reassure him there will always be food to eat. Our youngest foster son came to us just a few months older than yours and a few pounds heavier, though about the same height %. He also couldn't seem to eat his food fast enough and would eat as much as we would. he would eat so fast and stuff his mouth so full that he would choke. That being the case, there were no sweets for a long time. Fruit became desert, as did cheese, yogurt, applesauce/pearsauce, etc. In the year he has been here, he has not gained any weight (actually lost one or two), but has grown in height. Yet, when he first came CW said he needed to be put on a diet. I was not putting a kid that young on a diet, but he did get a lot of good-for-you foods. Oh, yeah, no soda and the like, though he knew what they were. At first, we let them eat what they wanted, till they settled in. There was breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, and supper. I felt like I lived in the kitchen, and heaven forbid if I was a few minutes late. We intially increased their activity level. Then, after a few months, we started giving them less, reassuring them there would be more at snack, etc. I started putting less on the table so that we could say, "oh, all done. Well, we will eat more at snack time." Now, we no longer have an impending need for morning snack, and they eat much more appropriatly sized portions. We are still dealing with not chewing, but it is much more 'normal' now. Has been for a few months.

I totally agree that no kid should be put on a diet...we are doing the same here...lean proteins, fruit, veggies, Cheerios as crunchies, diluted juice. The gorging seems to be more habit than psychological if that makes sense. When we tell him mealtime is over he is distracted within a minute and on to something else. According to a SW it was commonplace for him and mom to sit down and take care of a bag of Cheetos between them.Normally I wouldn't cut any kid off at mealtime but he lacks the trigger to stop. We are dealing with shoving handfuls of any food in his mouth too, and he seems to be responding. Thanks everyone for their advice/experience....I appreciate it. I needed to make sure I was making a tactful food decision....don't want to be seen as the food nazi.

We had the same issue with Squirt, but luckily he seems to be outgrowing it. Sometimes it is because they worry that there won't be more later, and sometimes they just have learned that food is what they should be doing, and it comforts them. We give only very healthy foods. Whole wheat bread, lots of fruits and veggies, milk, water. Because it is all healthy, he can eat as much as he wants and it won't make him gain weight. He gets the PBJ sandwich with milk, then a small piece of fruit, then unlimited veggies and water. Now he knows food is always there, and he knows water is always there, and he is lightening up. Definitely don't do a diet, just switch to super healthy foods. Look at it as a awesome time to teach him to like his spinach and lima beans!!!