toddler issues

Question
 I am so distressed. I have a 2.5 year old who is predisposed to obesity because it runs in both sides of the family (very heavy on fathers side). My daughter has always been a bottomless pit, literally. Nothing satisfies her appetite. We feed her healthy foods and give her only water to drink (and skim milk). We know she will have a weight problem later since all kids in the family have, and her appetite is the biggest problem. We lead by example, but once we cannot control her food as much, it will be a problem. Anyway, we currently feed her on a schedule so that she is not constantly asking for food every minute. She gets 3 meals and 2 snacks. We limit her portions and don't give seconds. We do this because seconds would never be enough, she would want thirds and fourths. Then a fit would follow. She always wants more and never gets full. I figure we should control it while we can, because soon she will be in school and able to get food on her own more easily. Are we going to cause her to "hoard" food by doing this? By the way, all this is done discreetly. We don't make an issue of food. I don't want her to feel singled out and get an eating disorder. Are we doing the right things? Or are we going to make it worse? Please help.  

Answer
Joanne,
Sounds to me you are doing the right things for now.  And not making a big issue out of food is probably one of the most important steps you have taken.  My suggestion is to speak to her pediatrician.  First make sure that this appetite she has is not from any physical type of problem.  I can't say if this will cause any problems in the future.  Youngsters are not really my main area of expertise so I don't want to give you the wrong advice.  Again, I highly suggest you speak to her pediatrician.  If there is any type of problem or if the doctor feels there is, they can refer you to a dietitian in your area that DOES work with toddlers and will be able to guide you in the right direction.
Kim Tessmer, RD LD
www.Nutrifocus.net

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