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Asperger's and sneak eating

G

gamecaco4

Active Member
I'm sorry if this has been a recent discussion. I looked, but didn't come across anything that looked similar.

My 10 year old sneak eats. A lot. He goes through spurts where he will eat completely normally during the day, but will wake very early in the morning and eat a days worth of calories over an hour or two. This usually lasts for a couple of weeks then he goes back to normal. He admits he isn't hungry, but is compelled to eat more. We are in the very early stages of getting a service dog that will be trained to wake us if Corbin gets up and starts eating early, but in the meantime, I have no idea what to do.

Anyone else go through this? I know it has to have something to do with anxiety, but nothing that we know of has changed and when asked, he says nothing is wrong and he isn't nervous/anxious about anything.
 
Put a lock on the pantry and keep a watchful eye on the fridge. I've never experienced this myself or known anyone who has, but your first priority should probably be to make it more difficult for your son to get at food (unless it's a meal or an approved snack).

Beyond that, I'm unsure of how to proceed until you get the dog. Is your son receiving any sort of therapy for his issues? If so, you might want mention the sneak-eating to the appropriate doctor.
 
Stands to reason. Where there's autism there's social anxiety to some degree I'd think. Could binging constitute a type of stim?
 
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He sees a therapist weekly. He knows this has happened in the past and knows that he started again a couple of weeks back. I was just wondering if others have gone through this and what they have done or if they had any info regarding a link between autism and eating disorders.
 
Judge said:
Stands to reason. Where there's autism there's social anxiety to some degree I'd think. Could binging constitute a type of stim?
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Good thought. I'm sure it has to do with anxiety, but never thought it could be a type of stim.
 
Why don't you get one of these

Home Security Window Door Entry Burglar Alarm System Wireless Magnetic Sensor
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If it's not anxiety, perhaps it's simply for the taste, or texture of the foods. Aspies can be a little obsessive at times, and can sometimes enjoy heightened senses, so perhaps he enjoys the taste/ textures of certain foods so much, he obsessively needs to experience them several times. It's only a theory, but perhaps that's the reason.

It's not an excuse though; it's best to teach him about the importance of moderation (especially if it's a concerning amount of for food that he's eating). Just be aware that if it's an obsession, it may upset him a little, so finding the right balance between being allowed those foods, and eating an appropriate amount, needs to be developed. If he's not keen to listen to reason, Ereth may be right in suggesting a lock on the fridge though.
 
I have this problem, I just regained control of it lately, but not before I gained 120 lbs!!!
I don't know if it's the same thing but I have this uncontrollable need to (do something) and the easiest way to satisfy it is to eat. I'm not hungry, but my need to just simply do something (and most importantly, not knowing what to do) is so strong that I have to find something to do. And since these, if I can call them cravings seem to come at very odd times, the easiest thing to do always seems to be, to eat. It does not make noise, it does not wake anyone up, it takes no energy, it's simple and it's quick.
I have tried to replace the eating habit with other things like: drinking water, excercise, reading, walking, woodworking, name it I've tried it!!! The only thing I have noticed that has helped is is that I finally understood that what I was doing was going to permanently damage my health and body, and excercise, not much, just a few sit-ups until the urge passes.
I know that getting this message across can be difficult if not impossible for a child to understand, so my advise if any of this makes sense to you, is to try and encourage exercise when he gets the urge to eat.

I hope this helps.

Just to clarify, in my opinion, try and make sure you replace the habit with something he enjoys doing, or something that will help him.

I read somewhere that a habit is formed by repeating it regularly for a minimum of 21 days. After that it should be easier. You become accustomed to the action.

Not sure if it's true or not but believing it sure helped me.

One more thing... Remember that what you will be asking him to do is like asking someone to quit smoking cold turkey. It will be very hard. Be patient.

Good luck
 
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Christophe,

So much of what you said requires a reply. I completely understand the compulsion to eat to fill some type of void. I've been there and know all to well the health ramifications. I commend you for taking control. It's one of the hardest things I've ever done, especially having general health and mental health problems with my child since birth. He's already genetically predisposed to hypertension (he had it from 18m of age to 6 years and had to be medicated to control it - hypertensive renal disease) and diabetes. Eating in this way will likely only create an earlier onset of these diseases.

One more thing that I feel compelled to comment on is that asking him to quit would be like asking a smoker to quit cold turkey. He does this on and off. His general appetite increases for 2-3 weeks and he has a growth spurt. During this time, he won't sneak eat, but will simply ask for 2nd portions or a couple of extra snacks per day. This? This is different. For 3-4 weeks every 6-8 months, he sneaks whatever he can. Last week, he had breakfast (oatmeal) and a glass of milk. When I went upstairs to get ready for work, he ate 4 slices of bread with butter and sugar. Seriously. It's stuff like that, that makes this harder. One time a few months back, he drank maple syrup - like 1/3 cup of it. From the bottle.

I would be find with getting a locking cabinet, but I feel that putting pad locks on all the cupboards and refrigerator is extreme and setting him up for more problems later. By locking everything up, won't I be setting him up to gorge himself anytime he gets a chance? Serious question. I was prohibited from eating/drinking certain things and as soon as I was able, I would stuff myself with it. I don't want that for him so we've always taught moderation but obviously this hasn't taken hold 100% of the time.
 
gamecaco4 said:
I would be find with getting a locking cabinet, but I feel that putting pad locks on all the cupboards and refrigerator is extreme and setting him up for more problems later. By locking everything up, won't I be setting him up to gorge himself anytime he gets a chance? Serious question. I was prohibited from eating/drinking certain things and as soon as I was able, I would stuff myself with it. I don't want that for him so we've always taught moderation but obviously this hasn't taken hold 100% of the time.
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Is it possible your son has some kind of underlying medical issue that's the root cause of this sneak eating? I'm not talking about ASD or depression or anything. I remember hearing a story recently about a girl who developed an eating disorder as a result of an injury she sustained during surgery to remove a benign tumor on her brain (the details are fuzzy for me, so don't quote me on this). Her weight skyrocketed and she would eat constantly, but this was reversed once she was able to have stomach-reduction surgery.The girl now continues to lose weight through a careful diet and exercise program that she'll have to continue to follow for the rest of her life.

I'm not saying the same thing has happened to Corbin . . . but does he "check out," physically speaking? Or is this purely a psychological issue?
 
In my opinion, and I'm no expert (to be clear) I think that if this is happening every 6-8 months for a couple weeks, I think your right, it might simply be a growth spurt. His body might just be craving what he needs to grow. I admit, drinking maple syrup directly from the bottle is a little unconventional... Maybe reorganizing the cupboard space by putting healthy foods on lower shelves and sugars and snacks inaccessible might help.

Just a thought.
 
I though I was the only one who sneaks food when no one's around :/ Actually I still do :(
 
I love to eat food with no one around (especially chocolate and peanut butter)! I'm actually secretly eating crackers right now :p
 
I cleaned my son's room a week ago and found stashes of food. I thought it might have just been him being lazy bc he is 14 but maybe it is something larger. There are a lot of things I'm finding out his asd is responsible for.
 
My step son did this. I am not so sure that the eating is a problem, but what he is eating appears to be. My wife teaches preschool and recently had a little girl that was very specific about what she would and would not eat. The director had a stern "Diet and Clean Your Plate" policy that all of the kids were held to. She would not get certain things until she ate what was served first. She eventually got sick and it was discovered that she had diabetes. She knew better than anyone what she needed, but could not tell them. They realized that she was craving what she needed, and if she were allowed to eat those things, she would have been OK. They have since revised their policy. If your son is eating extra, perhaps it is because he needs it.
If it were me, I would give my child the benefit of the doubt. I would allow him to eat what he felt necessary, but after meals he would be allowed healthy snacks only. I would work with him to come up with things that you both agree on. I would then monitor his weight, keeping a journal and watching for an increase. He would probably like doing this, and it will allow him to take ownership of his health. If he starts to gain, he will see the direct result of his excessive eating. I am not a fan of locking things up, unless they are dangerous. You risk alienating him, and rebellion. Most often, finesse works better than force.
This is an excellent opportunity to talk about healthy eating, and to allow your son to have responsibility, giving him self esteem and confidence.
Best of luck.
 
I have just stumbled upon this. I am new to the group and the mom of an almost 9 year old suspected aspie. He sneaks food too! As in cleans out a box of snickers ice cream bars, hides the wrappers, and leaves an empty box in the freezer. I didn't realize that it could be connected. I'll definitely mention to his therapist.
 
Kimmyizm said:
I have just stumbled upon this. I am new to the group and the mom of an almost 9 year old suspected aspie. He sneaks food too! As in cleans out a box of snickers ice cream bars, hides the wrappers, and leaves an empty box in the freezer. I didn't realize that it could be connected. I'll definitely mention to his therapist.
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Sometimes children are seeking what they are lacking. For instance a child that is dehydrated will often seek salty snacks as this is what the body craves. You may want to keep an eye out for such things, or make sure he is getting what he needs nutritionally.
 
We ALL need more chocolate! But seriously... I'll watch more closely to see if he is attempting to balance his nutrients out. Just wish it was veggies.
 
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