If a child is constantly hungry, parents need to ask themselves a few questions: are they eating properly at mealtimes? Are they overweight? Are they using food as a psychological prop of some kind?

If the answers to these questions raise no cause for concern, it could simply be that the child is genuinely hungry. Children go through growth spurts which can be quite dramatic – perhaps several centimeters in only a month or two – and at these times they’re likely to need lots of energy. Boys seem particularly affected. Most adult men will remember times in their adolescence when they could eat everyone else under the table and still feel hungry!

Eating Properly at Mealtimes

Make sure that a child who claims to be hungry all the time is eating three good meals a day.

Having said that, remember that younger children can’t usually manage large portions and may need to ‘graze’ throughout the day. What appears to their parents to be constant hunger may just be eating smaller amounts more often. Older children should be able to eat bigger portions at each sitting, but they will often need a couple of snacks during the day in addition – children are very energetic and burn off calories faster than most adults.

Do encourage hungry children to eat until they are full, but don’t force them to have more than they want.

Keep Snacks Healthy

Children typically need one snack in the middle of the morning and another in the afternoon – perhaps when they get home from school – to keep going. Do make sure the snacks they eat are nutritious as well as filling. For example, they could eat a bowl of cereal with milk, some toast with baked beans or a banana.

If children fill up on junk food or sugar-laden snacks, they’re risking their long-term health and may put on too much weight. The high fat content of such snacks makes it easy to eat too many calories without feeling full. In addition, the ‘sugar rush’ produced by sweets and chocolate bars tends to be addictive – not to mention their bad effect on children’s teeth. Discourage habits like playing on the computer, watching TV or even doing homework with a bag of crisps, a box of chocolates or a can of drink to hand. Better still; don’t keep such snacks in the house.

Hungry or Thirsty?

It’s possible to confuse hunger and thirst, so it’s worth giving a child something to drink first. Water, milk or fruit juice are the healthiest choices (see comment on ‘sugar rush’ above).

Getting Enough Sleep

We all feel the need to keep up our energy levels when we’re tired, perhaps by eating something sugary. Eliminate this possibility by making sure a child is getting plenty of sleep.

Overweight Children

If a hungry child is also becoming too fat, it’s a sign that their eating habits are getting out of control. In this case, their bodies have become conditioned to expect large quantities of food and regular ‘fixes’ of calories, so they feel hungry even though they don’t need the food for energy. This is a whole subject in itself – please see our separate article on childhood obesity.

Psychological Issues

Constant hunger – or rather constant eating – can be a sign that a child is using food to fulfil some emotional need. It might be as straightforward as reaching for a snack when they’re bored or it might be more complicated than that.

If parents suspect that a child is bored or needing some comfort rather than genuinely feeling hungry, it’s a good idea to suggest an activity together or settling down for a chat before making a snack. They’ll start to learn that there are other ways to satisfy that ‘empty’ feeling.

In a few cases, food can become a serious mental health issue. Children who habitually eat for reasons other than hunger could be starting on the road to an eating disorder. If parents suspect that this could be happening, it’s essential to seek professional help.