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Eating too much to get big

southafr

Hi there, I am actuallly writing this on behalf of my friend her son is 5 and has just been diagnosed and she thinks someone has said something to him at school, she is not sure if it was kids or teacher that when we eat we get big.  So now for a number of weeks he has been eating all the time.  Last night she caught him in the middle of night eating and school have mentioned that they have caught him secretly eating his lunch and other childrens lunches.  He has said that if he eats he gets big.  She has tried explaining it to him but he can't seem to understand.  Does anyone know of any social stories that can explain this or have experience of this happening with their own children.

Thank you

  • My own interpretation is that he has taken what was said literally, and perhaps he thinks that by eating he will grow strong - pop-eye the sailor man comes to mind. It is true that eating helps you grow, but he has obviously not understood that what was said to him does not mean that he should eat all the time. I think an error of communication has occurred, which is very common for those on the spectrum, and the way around it is for a teacher or the parent, or even yourself, to explain to him the subtelties of what was said.

    I have Asperger's and have in the past taken things like this very literally.

  • Hi,

    I'm sorry that I can't offer any stories, but one of my own two boys has a similar problem. In fact he gets up in the middle of the night also. As a small child I would have to lock the cupboards with special locks or put things high up, but then he began to climb and injure himself. It's very difficult to try and keep his eating under control. When highly stressed he eats continually. He's gained 2 stone in this last academic year, following a stressful transition. He makes eating almost look like body language at times. He clears the plate of other peoples leftovers also and has begun hoarding food under his bed and in his wardrobe.

    I have read somewhere that cravings for sugar or salt are very common for those on the spectrum. Indeed, my other son pours sugar; half a cup deep, into his cup. Does the lad seem to have a preference for Salt or Sweet?

    Theories say that these food cravings seem to be linked directctly as a result of the levels of anxiety, with peaks in the day when adrenalin is depleated. I'm really only just coming to understand some of these issues myself very slowly as i struggle to research effectively, however someone on the helpline may be able to put forward strategies.

    My guess is that he is responding to what his body needs, rather than with the theory that he will get big, but perhaps he's struggling to communicate why he's eating so much or recognizes that his eating is troubling others. Very much a guess on my part really, but i hope what little i've mentioned is of some help.

    Kind Regards

    Coogybear XX