How to tell 7 yo?

I told my grandkids the truth.  My 5 year old granddaughter tries to be very helpful to me.  I also can't eat gluten due to celiacs.  When the rest of the family eats something that I can't she asks me if it has gluten or sugar in it.  Sometimes when I say I have a stomachache she'll say "but you don't have a stomach anymore".  I have used my surgery as a cautionary story as what will happen if you eat too much junk and to not exercise.  I might add that this hasn't fazed my teenage grandchildren one bit.  They still eat what they eat.  The ones younger than 5 don't pay any attention either.  I am not sure if this was the right thing to do but I sure know it struck a chord with this little girl.  There is no shaming just letting her know that grandma made bad choices and has some health issues because of it.

My kids were 3 and 5 when I had my RNY. I told them I was having surgery on my tummy to help me lose weight so I could be healthier and a better/more active mommy. They did not think of it as a big deal because I did not act like it was a big deal.

Be honest but keep it age appropriate.  I told my teens that I was having surgery to get healthy and be a better role model for them.  I told them I would be in the hospital for a few days and would be eating differently than everyone else in the beginning. Let her ask questions and answer as honest as possible without extra details.  Good luck!

I could tell my weight was starting to bother my 6-year old son. Leading up to my surgery there was a radio commercial for the Y with kids singing the jingle "My mom is a Y mom..." that talked about the mom working out, fitting into jeans, etc. Evertime that jingle would come on the radio, my son would sincerely say "Mom, you should do that!" It was around that time that I realized he couldn't even get his arms all the way around me to give me a hug.

I told him that I was having a surgery inside my tummy that would help me make healthier choices and lose weight so that I could get smaller and play more with him.

About a month ago, He was giving me a hug and I glanced at our reflection in the mirror and noticed that he had his arms all the way around me with his hands overlapping and hooked behind me :)

My son was 7. He really wasn't interested. He spent the weekend with his grandmother. He didn't  pay that much attention to what I ate but after a while he got sick of me offering him food I didn't eat.