“I Am Starving Him”: Teen Flips Out Over Reduced Food Portions, People Online Take His Side

Our childhood food habits often stay with us well into adulthood, so parents are encouraged to model healthy behaviors for their kids.

However, Reddit user Main-Bat-2458 started feeling like she had to take drastic measures. In a post on the subreddit ‘Am I the [Jerk]?‘, the mother revealed that she was struggling with her son’s excessive eating, so she decided to limit his intake.

But this soon spiralled into a huge conflict between them and now she’s unsure if she made the right decision.

Kids need to fuel their growing bodies with enough food, but this mom thought her son was having too much

“I Am Starving Him”: Teen Flips Out Over Reduced Food Portions, People Online Take His Side

Image credits: RDNE Stock project / pexels (not the actual photo)

So she decided to limit it against his will

“I Am Starving Him”: Teen Flips Out Over Reduced Food Portions, People Online Take His Side

Image credits: Polina Tankilevitch / pexels (not the actual photo)

“I Am Starving Him”: Teen Flips Out Over Reduced Food Portions, People Online Take His Side

Image credits: cottonbro studio / pexels (not the actual photo)

“I Am Starving Him”: Teen Flips Out Over Reduced Food Portions, People Online Take His Side

Image credits: Main-Bat-2458

Tweens and teens need extra fuel for a healthy mind and body

It might sound like the 16-year-old is eating a lot if we compare him to the average adult, but we have to consider the context. Classes, after-school programs, fluctuating moods — everything plays a part.

“Kids often have a hard time fueling their activities,” said Cara Marrs, registered dietitian nutritionist at UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center. “We need to remember that they’re not just fueling for sports and activities like adults, but they are forming organs and bones as well.”

How many calories should a teenager eat a day?

According to Marrs, when it comes to caloric intake, there is a notable difference between boys and girls, pre-adolescents and 16- or 17-year-olds, and athletes and non-athletes.

It could further depend upon how many hours a day a girl or boy practices, the specific sport, and how much they weigh. With that being said, the broad ballpark numbers to keep in mind are:

For children ages 6-10 = 2,000 calories/day;
For boys ages 11-15 = 2,500/daily and girls = 2,200/daily;
Older teens = about 3,000 calories a day, but more active athletes may need up to 5,000/daily.

Since the mom said the issue is not about health, it’s a bit curious why she decided to take away some of the foods.

Marrs said parents can limit ultra-processed products, but they shouldn’t create taboos or ultimatums as they can create issues.

Instead, parents can set a good example for their children by making healthy food choices in front of them, sharing meals together when possible, and offering lots of options.

“Kids are smart, they’re savvy, and if we talk to them in an adult manner about the reasons why we want them to be eating in a nourishing way, you often get a good response from them,” she added.

As the story went viral, a heated discussion broke out in the comments between its author and the people who read it

“I Am Starving Him”: Teen Flips Out Over Reduced Food Portions, People Online Take His Side

Rokas is a writer at Bored Panda with a BA in Communication. After working for a sculptor, he fell in love with visual storytelling and enjoys covering everything from TV shows (any Sopranos fans out there?) to photography. Throughout his years in Bored Panda, over 300 million people have read the posts he's written, which is probably more than he could count to.

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As a Visual Editor at Bored Panda, I indulge in the joy of curating delightful content, from adorable pet photos to hilarious memes, all while nurturing my wanderlust and continuously seeking new adventures and interests—sometimes thrilling, sometimes daunting, but always exciting!

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What do you think ?

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Mammie 8 months ago

I can't believe all the yta people. It's simple. She buys snacks for the week for the kids, all of the kids, but 1 kid eats it all in a matter of a day. No. Just no. You can't just let one kid eat everything and let the others go without. So set limits on the snacks so everyone can have some. Provide extra at mealtime. And the kid can make a sandwich whenever he wants. He isn't gonna die. He isn't starving. We are talking about snacks here.

105points

Marion Vambre 8 months ago

Finally someone who understand the story 👍

43points

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Negatoris Wrecks 8 months ago

And she limited him to FIVE prepackaged snacks a DAY. That's still a nice amount of tasty stuff

19points

rorschach-penguin 8 months ago (edited)

Did YOU read the story? The kid is eating two "servings" of the actual meal served at each meal in addition to those snacks and is still hungry. She's limited the servings of the actual meals. This isn't just about the snack limit. I don't know how large her "servings" are, but they either aren't large enough or the kid has suddenly developed a massive medical issue and needs to seek medical attention ASAP. Even an active 16-year-old shouldn't be going through six meals and five snacks a day and still be hungry and not gaining weight.

8points

Cassie 8 months ago

It's not just snacks. She's also limiting how many total servings he can have at meals with no mention that he can just go have a sandwich if he's still hungry. Teens go through growth spurts and will eat like crazy. She can make larger meals or provide additional options for if he's still hungry, but putting hard limits on his food when his doctor says he's healthy is not the best course of action. We also don't know what she considers a serving to determine if the kids are actually getting enough to eat. She better get it figured because, with those ages, she's about to have multiple teens in overlapping growth spurts whose bodies will demand crazy amounts of food.

7points

María Hermida 8 months ago

... and he can also have as much fruit and veggies as he wants. If he's really hungry, there are lots of things he can eat, just no more than five snacks. Let the grandparents feed him for a month, and see what they think after that.

5points

Luiza NP 8 months ago

She limited meal food too. If it was only snacks it woulb be completely diferent.

5points

KatSaidWhat 7 months ago (edited)

That right there is the crux - he's chomping anything and everything and the others are losing out. Other foods are available. I ate a lot of toast between meals as a teenager on weekends because food was restricted to actual meals but toast and healthy stuff was free game. I was in boarding school so used to 3 square a day but home was chaotic and we were often fending for ourselves. I also did a lot of sport so my metabolism was very fast.

3points

Verena 8 months ago (edited)

Header should actually be "Teen Flips Out Over Reduced Snack And Candy Portions, People Online Take His Side". People here don't seem to do, the majority gets the point of the mother. Which is unlimited fruit, veg and sandwiches - and family shared cooked meals; as the latter requires planning and time to prepare three times a day for in total 6 persons, a reasonable strategy. (edit:typo)

46points

rorschach-penguin 8 months ago

So why doesn't she increase the amount of food she buys for cooked meals, if she never has enough? It takes maybe 10% longer to prepare and cook two pounds of chicken as it takes to cook one pound of chicken.

6points

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Jasmyn JAY 8 months ago (edited)

It's really not just snacks and candy. She said she only allows 2 servings of ACTUAL food as well. Just because she serves a main and sides doesn't mean anything.

4points

Kyra Heiker 8 months ago

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Kathy O 8 months ago

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Verena 8 months ago

Sad that the parents don't get her point.

23points

Kathy O 8 months ago

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Mammie 8 months ago

105points

Marion Vambre 8 months ago

Finally someone who understand the story 👍

43points

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Negatoris Wrecks 8 months ago

And she limited him to FIVE prepackaged snacks a DAY. That's still a nice amount of tasty stuff

19points

rorschach-penguin 8 months ago (edited)

8points

Cassie 8 months ago

7points

María Hermida 8 months ago

5points

Luiza NP 8 months ago

She limited meal food too. If it was only snacks it woulb be completely diferent.

5points

KatSaidWhat 7 months ago (edited)

3points

Verena 8 months ago (edited)

46points

rorschach-penguin 8 months ago

6points

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Jasmyn JAY 8 months ago (edited)

It's really not just snacks and candy. She said she only allows 2 servings of ACTUAL food as well. Just because she serves a main and sides doesn't mean anything.

4points