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He eats from the time he gets up to the time he goes to bed and NEVER gains any weight. Is this a normal behavior?

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This typically is not a usual occurrence unless you may be encountering an issue with a metabolic pathway condition. If there is a constant caloric deficiency or a sudden change in eating behaviors some researchers recommend a consultation with a certified dietician, primary physician with lab testing or counseling regarding eating trends or disorders.
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Reply to Senior8
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lealonnie1 Oct 6, 2025
The man has dementia! That's the "condition" he has!
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Rockysmom: Perhaps he should see his primary care physician, his neurologist and a nutritionist.
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Reply to Llamalover47
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What is he eating? Is he snacking or grazing all day long? His cumulative calories could be in line if he is eating small bits at a time. Think of it like setting out your day's meals, and then picking at it a little at a time slowly consuming a normal daily intake.

If he is over eating and not gaining weight, I would definitely consult with his doctor. There is likely a medical reason for this. Before talking to the doctor, keep a daily food journal of everything he eats, and when, and any other habits, sleeping, exercise, bathroom frequency, urinating and bowel movements.

With his dementia, he may not remember when he has eaten.
If the doctor rules out any medical problems, you can help by literally setting up a day's worth of food, preparing little grab & go snacks in the fridge, or on the table or counter. Try and keep other foods hidden out of sight, so he focuses on what you have prepared for him. Then, let him graze all day long to his heart's content. You can then have better control to ensure his nutritional requirements are met and limiting unhealthy choices. If he doesn't remember what he has eaten, it's hard to follow a healthy diet. Please don't become super controlling, and not allowing him to enjoy foods he wants. Nobody likes that. And if he is relatively healthy, he has earned the right to eat whatever he wants.
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Reply to CaringWifeAZ
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My husband was diagnosed with mild cognitive disorder just after the pandemic.He was progressively getting more mild episodes of paranoia and paranoia so I hired a 24 hr. caregiver.She is excellent because she came from the same province, She also do housekeeping and helps me cook our native dishes.
He progressively got better , rare episode, physically and medical test, scans and ultrasounds within normal range. However , the last few months he had been sleeping a lot! He also likes to eat a lot! Sleeping after eating has been the routine! He can still navigate the big iMAC when he is awake and does not go to bed until 1-2 am, To sustain the after dinner (9pm) he likes to snack on yogurt and nuts! Current problems; refusing to drink more often so his urine output is much less compared to mine! He prefers Diet Coke with his snack after breakfast .I just let him sleep as long and as often and eat as much as he wants!
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Reply to Mabuhay24
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Just a personal observation I tend to eat more if I am bored. If I am busy all day I eat less. So find him something to do that he likes.
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Reply to Sample
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You might want to keep a food journal to see if maybe it's just snacking and not really a high calorie binge. If you have concerns you can ask his doctor. My mom has three full meals a day and several snacks. She has put on a little bit of weight, but not much. Some meds can make people eat more.
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Reply to JustAnon
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I think it depends on what kind of snacks/meals you are talking about.

If he has memory impairment, maybe he isn't remembering that he's already eaten? With dementia, a person can lose their ability to recognize their body signals.

Is he on any medications, like steroids, that might be ramping up his appetite?
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Reply to Geaton777
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Your husband has dementia so "normal" is off the table now in all regards.

Unless he's eating carrots, lettuce and celery all day, however, he should be gaining weight. Get him to the doctor to make sure there isn't a cancer growing that's actually making him lose weight, allowing him to consume tons of calories as he is. If that's not the case, the satiation signal mechanism in his brain isnt working, so you'll have to monitor his food intake to prevent him from eating to the point of vomiting.

Best of luck with a difficult situation.
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Reply to lealonnie1
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I think you know that eating from the time you get up until the time you go to bed is not "normal".
The fact that he does not gain weight is also unusual.
There could be medical reasons he does not gain weight.
The first thing you need to do is make an appointment for him to see his doctor for complete testing.
Also keep a log of what he eats, how much he eats.
Since you have this posted under Alzheimer's and Dementia I will say that eating all the time, or eating a lot is common with dementia. Often it is the brain telling them that they have not eaten. Or the other end of the spectrum is people forget to eat or think they have just eaten.
YOU need to be in charge of what he eats and when.
You can portion out his meals so that he is eating every few hours rather than 3 larger meals.
So your day might be:
Cereal and a cup of coffee. (7am)
2 hours later maybe some toast and and egg. (9:30)
2 hours later a cup of yogurt and a piece of fruit (11:30)
2 hours later some iced tea and a few cookies. (1:30)
2 hours later maybe some fruit (3:30)
2 hours later (or close to your dinner time) a light dinner soup and maybe a 1/2 sandwich
And a piece of fruit before bed.

It does sound like a lot of work but portioning out small meals is pretty easy.
As he declines more and he sleeps more make the larger meal when he is at his "best" typically in the morning. He has the day to digest the larger meal. And he will probably nap more so little "snacks" between naps.
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Reply to Grandma1954
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