Imagine having to eat every hour, on the hour. At first, that might not sound so bad. We all love food, but our need to consume it doesn’t normally interfere with everyday activities, or pose a serious threat to our wellbeing if not met within strict time constraints. That’s the reality for 23-month-old Owen Torti, who was diagnosed with a rare metabolic disorder that requires he eat nearly constantly or risk his body breaking down.

The toddler was born with LCHAD, a condition that means Owen’s body is unable to break down some kinds of fatty acids into energy. Because of that, he must eat about every hour or his body would begin to break down important muscles in search of energy.

“If we had breakfast and skipped lunch [our body] would use up the energy from breakfast…[to] break down stored fats for energy,” said Kayla Torti, Owen’s mother, to ABC News. “Owen’s body cannot do that. It breaks down his muscles and can cause problems with kidneys or liver or heart.”

Owen still looks and acts like any other toddler, though, despite his illness.

“He wants to act like a normal 2-year-old and he wants to go and play and run around as long as the other 2-year-olds,” Torti said. “Unfortunately, we have to have him sit down and take little breaks. … He doesn’t know how to pace himself.”

There is no current estimate for how often the disorder appears in the U.S., but one study in a Finnish population set the number at 1 out of every 62,000 births, according to ABC News. Torti is hopeful that Owen will grow to manage his condition, and with enough knowledge of his body, lead a mostly normal life.