Question:
JUST A WARNING: Olestra in new Lays WOW chips.

I recently bought some WOW chips for my husband's lunch and I ate 3-4 chips. I like to have died. Stomach cramped and I was in pain. This was yesterday. I thought I had a bug. Today it happened again. Since I am keeping a food journal right now the culprit raised it's ugly head....the chips (I had 3-4 more today). I noticed, too late, the warning on the bottom of the bag...New ingrediant, Olestra, may cause severe adominal cramping. Well they did not lie. No speeches about the chips please, I do not eat them all the time. I do not deprive myself of anything either. Just be careful of these. (open RNY distal, 2/2002, -163, 4 lbs to goal weight.    — Oldsoul (posted on May 17, 2003)

May 17, 2003
Thanks for the warning. The WOW chips have actually been out for a few years now, but I think are decreasing in popularity due to the thing that happened with you. Used to be all stores carried them, now they're harder to find. I eat them once in a while when I have a chip craving. My mom and I do fine with them, but I know many others don't. Can also cause diarrhea, etc. So for some its worth it just to have a couple real chips instead of the lower-fat WOW. Goodluck to you!
   — Lezlie Y.

May 17, 2003
There was a lot of news about the WOW chips and other foods containing Olestra when it first hit the market - and from what I have heard all the warnings are very true - the stuff can really make you ill.
   — Patty_Butler

May 17, 2003
WOW chips made me ill BEFORE I had WLS. Now if I want a chip, I eat just a couple of the baked ones and I'm satisfied. Sidney Open RNY 10-23-02 down 90+
   — Siddy I.

May 18, 2003
Reactions to Olestra vary great between individuals. My sister can't eat a single chip without getting sick. I can eat as many as I want with no problem whatsoever.
   — Tally

May 18, 2003
I ate them pre op with no problems although they gave my Mom the runs. Shoot, if I could find some post op, I'd try em again! I'm always "full of it" (constipated). Perhaps post op they would give me the runs. ;)
   — Danmark

May 18, 2003
I've never tried those chips due to what happened with my girlfriend, who is a normal weight and hasn't had WLS. The chips never made her sick, no cramping or diarrhea BUT she started leaking this bright orange oily stuff and didn't know it. She was at a church service after the 9/11 tragedy and, when she got up to leave, her friend was behind her and noticed the terrible large orange stain on her white skirt. She had no idea what it was. It happened several more times over the course of the next few days, ruined another skirt and some shorts, and each time the only way she even knew it happened was someone else had to tell her about the stain. Anyway, we tracked it down to those awful chips -- she called her doctor about it and the first thing they asked her was if she ever ate those things! She stopped eating them and never had another problem. Just remember, they won't necessarily make you sick -- your body may react in other ways.
   — Chris H.

May 18, 2003
I agree that it varies with each individual. I could eat a whole bag (I physically can't now but you get the idea) with no ill effects. I ate them pre-op doing Weight Watchers and have had a few WOW Doritos now and then post-op with no problems. So, I guess you just gotta try them out and see what it does to you if you really want them, just make sure you are trying them at home! But, they do taste super and I couldn't tell any difference in taste from the "real" version.
   — Dee ,.

May 19, 2003
This might sound petty, but I had to absolutely forbid my husband from eating the WOW chips!! It gave him the most hideous smelling gas I'd ever been witness to. He would literally wake me from a sound sleep. It was ghastly. I refused to eat them because of it, lol. So now when my hubby is dieting I always make him check the label. My mother in law had the same reaction to them as you did. She got very sick from them. I don't count fat grams, so if I want to splurge on the carb count a bit, I'll just grab 2 or 3 regular chips and I'm fine.
   — Ruthie K.

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