How to tell someone they're eating too much?

My cousin has become very gluttonous. He's always eaten a lot, but he keeps pushing it further and it's getting to the point where it's concerning.

He was making fun of a friend of his that eats 4k calories a day and does heavy workouts. So we told him he easily eats that much and he called us liars. So we added up how much he'd eaten that day and it was over 12k. He doesn't work out or anything, so it's just a massive intake because he likes to eat.

His midnight "snack" last night was literally 6 eggs, 2 packs of ramen noodles, 5 boiled hotdogs and 2 small bags of potato chips. He generally goes back for seconds of the same amount. His breakfast this morning was another full dozen of eggs(he bought 3 dozen yesterday).

He's starting to gain weight, and I'm concerned over potential future health issues he may develop, but he gets super angry if anything is said to him and still just does as he pleases. The rest of us barely get any food at dinner because he'll literally stack 3-4 plates full of food for himself just so we won't get it. This is getting ridiculous and I don't know how to bring it up in a way that won't upset him and will still get him to understand that he's just eating way too much.

I also forgot that he sliced up one these big onions and put in the eggs and ate the whole thing. This alone should fill someone up.
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/8/5/5/AAOK_sAAC203.jpg

Have them watch this:

https://youtu.be/JwOKnmOhSDo

Tell them "woah there big guy, slow down" and then pat their stomach.
The glaring alone will kill you.

Its either a physical issue such as a tapeworm or a mental health issue.

Neither of which is likely to be tackled through simple conversation. Im not saying you shouldnt try anything, but there isnt an easy way to discuss it nor is it an easy change to make.

kangolcone posted...

Its either a physical issue such as a tapeworm or a mental health issue.

Neither of which is likely to be tackled through simple conversation. Im not saying you shouldnt try anything, but there isnt an easy way to discuss it nor is it an easy change to make.

"Lemmie check yo poop see if there's a wiggler" is a pretty simple conversation.

MagicalPrincess posted...

Have them watch this:

https://youtu.be/JwOKnmOhSDo

I might give that a shot. Doubt it'll make a difference, as he feels he's unique and things like that don't apply to him.

shadowsword87 posted...

Tell them "woah there big guy, slow down" and then pat their stomach.
The glaring alone will kill you.

He got an attitude last night when I asked how many eggs he cooked. I just asked "how many eggs is that?"

kangolcone posted...

Its either a physical issue such as a tapeworm or a mental health issue.

Neither of which is likely to be tackled through simple conversation. Im not saying you shouldnt try anything, but there isnt an easy way to discuss it nor is it an easy change to make.

He is mentally challenged, so it's very difficult to get through to him. Especially over things that he really wants to do. He'll just keep doing it. He's always been aggressive over food and hogging it, but it was never this bad. Now he has a job and comes out with a load of groceries every night that's just for himself.

It's difficult to get someone who is mentally challenged to listen to you. All you can really do is tell him he's better off spending less money on food so he can buy other things he might want. He certainly doesn't need all that food.

shadowsword87 posted...

"Lemmie check yo poop see if there's a wiggler" is a pretty simple conversation.

IDK man, I never asked my cousins about their poop. Maybe thats commonplace in your family.

kangolcone posted...

IDK man, I never asked my cousins about their poop. Maybe thats commonplace in your family.

I admit, parasites are my second theory. Currently I'm just hoping it's a bad habit that he needs to learn to control. Idk how we'd ever get him to the doctor to check for tapeworms or anything.

Meanwhile I'm on about 800 calories a day and still high... granted, I don't move around much.

Is this the same cousin you used to tell stories about?

Action53 posted...

Is this the same cousin you used to tell stories about?

It is indeed.

"Time to go on a diet, Fats."

Any updates?

Person106 posted...

Your cousin sounds like the kind of glutton you would see in a zany cartoon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vd0B3ehvALE

^ "That's right, Fats."

(why doesn't Goofy have ears?)

Bro sounds like an absolute nightmare

As an obese person, you may or may not want to say stuff to them... they likely get all the ranting and preaching already from parents and doctors.

It also depends on reason why they eat. I know for me when someone starts ranting at me about my diet or health and they start preaching to me on how I should change, it just legitly makes me want to go grab a cheeseburger and devour it right in front of them in pure spite. I have literally been in a situations where I went in for a doctors appointments listen to them talk down to me for an hour. Walk out of their office and go right to a fast food place and order a bunch of food because fuck them.

For me I know its grossly negative to my health. Hell I nearly died in 2021 from complications with diabetes. But the pure facts are food is one of the few things in this world that bring me joy these days and I'd rather die at 40 with something that makes me happy than die at 90 spending decades miserable because I wasn't allowed the things that bring me joy. If I'm constantly unhappy whats the point of living? Just to mark time? Naw.

If you haven't yet, tell him to share the food, don't eat other peoples' portions because they're hardly getting anything to eat; something like that. That way maybe he'll be mindful of the amount that he's eating in a non-defensive way.

Sequiro posted...

As an obese person, you may or may not want to say stuff to them... they likely get all the ranting and preaching already from parents and doctors.

His parents are out of the picture, we've been raising him for the last 8-9 years, and we're basically his caregivers before that. He's 21 and still slim built, but you can tell he's starting to gain weight. He doesn't go to the doctor unless we make him and then it's because he's sick and his diet doesn't really come up.

Sequiro posted...

It also depends on reason why they eat. I know for me when someone starts ranting at me about my diet or health and they start preaching to me on how I should change, it just legitly makes me want to go grab a cheeseburger and devour it right in front of them in pure spite. I have literally been in a situations where I went in for a doctors appointments listen to them talk down to me for an hour. Walk out of their office and go right to a fast food place and order a bunch of food because fuck them

That's exactly how he is. We don't talk down to him(well, dad does but that a given). We try to give him advice and gentle encouragement to make better decisions, but even that ends with him doing things out of spite. Just to prove that he can do what he wants.

Sequiro posted...

For me I know its grossly negative to my health. Hell I nearly died in 2021 from complications with diabetes. But the pure facts are food is one of the few things in this world that bring me joy these days and I'd rather die at 40 with something that makes me happy than die at 90 spending decades miserable because I wasn't allowed the things that bring me joy. If I'm constantly unhappy whats the point of living? Just to mark time? Naw.

I don't think that's his reason. I think he simply has no self control and if there's food he's going to eat it. He's got no concept of other people and how his actions affect us. He never puts any money towards groceries and then he eats most of it himself. It's just frustrating to go out and buy $100 if food just to have nothing to eat a day later.

Apparently my mom mentioned something to him. He told her that he's actually not eating enough calories per day. Supposedly some guy he works with told to increase his calorie intake.

I assume it's his body building friend who also works there and is the one who was eating the 4/5k calories a day. Either that, or it was a sarcastic remark that he took to heart thinking it was sincere. That happened back when he was in high school and he was being bullied without realizing it.

Does he work out? I eat that many calories per day but I also power lift 80 minutes a day six days a week

But he should substitute hot dogs with grilled chicken if so

BADoglick posted...

Does he work out? I eat that many calories per day but I also power lift 80 minutes a day six days a week

Not at all. He thinks the walking he does at work is enough. Admittedly, he does do a lot of walking, but no actual working out at all. He spends 100% of his time off in bed, or on the couch and eating.