Question:
Did anyone see a marked difference in childrens eating after their surgery?

I have noticed that my 7 year old, who is not what society would consider "fat" but surely on the heavier side of the spectrum, has had a marked decrease in the amount of food he eats daily. Has anyone else had this happen. If so are you worried that your surgery is going to give your child/children a bad self image if they are not small and or "problems" with food/eating which they may be predisposed to anyway. I just never want him to have to deal with the things I deal with daily. Thanks Penny    — pcollin4 (posted on January 3, 2003)

January 3, 2003
no, as a matter of fact, I have become grossly aware of my son's poor eating habits and am working hard to change them as we speak. He is not fat, nor even on the heavy side, but when an 8 year old child of two obese parents states "I just love to eat" after finishing off half a medium pizza. It makes you worry.
   — Vicki L.

January 3, 2003
I'd ask him about it. At 7 he is old enough to explain why he is eating less. Maybe he's just emulating you. Maybe he was just emulating you before and eating more than he needed. If he can't or won't explain, you may need to rule out any medical problems or depression. A visit to his doctor wouldn't hurt just to make sure something important isn't going on. My daughter is 10 and slender. She continues to eat like she did before, but like the last poster said, I've become more aware of food issues for our whole family and have quitely substituted healthier foods. One more thought, make sure you don't present certian foods to your son as "bad." Food has no moral character. Some foods are unhealthy and should be taken in small doses, while others can be eaten by your son without much limit. Make sure he understands that.
   — Amber L.

January 3, 2003
My daughter is overweight at 9 years of age. She has passes the 100lb mark. Her doctor says change her habbits but do not put her on a diet. I am hoping my new eating habbits will rub off on her. She is alreading saying she wants to eat like me. I repond in we both want to eat healthy, we will try to eat healthy together. Encourage healthy eating not eating like we all did prior to WLS.
   — Pam W.

January 3, 2003
Not an actual answer to your ???, more like a reaction... I'm actually looking forward to being post WLS, because my toddler only eats tiny portions, expects to eat about 5-6 times a day, won't eat meat, and only likes soft foods... Right now, it's a pain to make him different things.. after WLS, we can eat the same things!!! :-)... seriously though, I am hopeing by having this surgery while my son is so young, I can raise him to eat healthier and to be a more active person. Where I am now, I am very afraid of raising an unhealthy child, since I am such a poor example. After WLS, I am determined to be a good role model for him!
   — Kelly B.

January 3, 2003
I don't have any kids, but I have noticed a marked difference in the eating habits of my husband! He used to be very anti-diet and was happy with the way he was even though his big 'ol belly causes him back pain and problems with his asthma. After my surgery he became very aware of what I was eating and thus what he was eating, and now eats only twice the amount of what I eat (which isn't very much!) but is maybe a quarter of what he used to eat before. And since I do all the grocery shopping for the family, I don't buy 'crap' food, so there are no temptations in the house anymore.
   — salymsmommy

January 3, 2003
I just wanted to add my experience here, and say thanks for bringing this up. I have a 3 yr. old who I've noticed not eating habits, but behavior changes. She checks labels at the super market and says "It has too much sugar" looks at herself in the mirror like I do, gets on the scale and weighs herself, trys on clothes and says "nope still too small"!! I worry that what I'm going through will ruin her self image. I don't think she'll have a problem with her weight, she's very tall and thin like her dad, but I don't want her to doubt that she's beautiful or doubt that she isn't "thin" enough. Fortunatley and unfortunatley the surgery is doing wonders for me, but not helping her I'm afraid. I wish you luck with your son.
   — Heather B.

January 3, 2003
I am guilty of passing down my poor eating habits to my 9yr old daughter. Although she isn't heavy, I can already tell she is "shaped" like me. I wasn't overweight as a child, but I can tell by her eating habits (which are mine) that she may some day be where I am. I'm looking forward to WLS and plan to change her diet without her really noticing. I think if I increase her protein and cut out a lot of carbs, that will help. In my opinion, if you want to change your son's diet, you don't have to tell him about it. The last thing you want is for him to know what he "can't" have. Good luck to you! Kimberly
   — Kimberly S.

January 3, 2003
My daughter has always been extremely thing (she is 10 now). I think my weight caused her not to eat because she did not want to be fat. I am now almost 6 months post-op and have lost 95 pounds. My daughter still does not eat. I am so afraid she is going to be anorexic because of my weight issues. Food has become a big issue in our household. Getting her to eat is a battle. I wish you luck with your son. God Bless. Kim
   — Kimberly V.