Feel your teenage boy is eating a lot? There's science behind that.

Ever heard a mother of adolescent boys complain about how their son eats so much, or merely mention it in amazement at the sheer volume of food that can be consumed in one sitting? There happens to be a significant amount of scientific fact in their ramblings, as shown by a groundbreaking US funded study.

The study, which is run by the US National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (wow, try fitting that on a letterhead) has found that the average boy aged 14-17 can consume up to around 2000 calories in a single lunch sitting, if given the option.

According to Reuters:

During two study lunches, the youngsters were told on one day to eat as much as they normally would during lunch and on the other day, to eat as much as they wanted.

Overall, the researchers found, boys ate more than girls.

Prepubescent boys - generally between the ages of 8 and 10 - averaged nearly 1300 lunchtime calories, versus 900 among prepubescent girls.

Girls showed the biggest increase in appetite during early- to mid-puberty, roughly between the ages of 10 and 13. Girls that age averaged almost 1300 lunchtime calories, and that figure was only slightly higher among girls who were in late puberty.

Read the full report from Reuters.