Gluten Intolerant Children And Weight Gain?

[justjen]

I have an 8 year old who suffers many of the same symptoms I do but unlike most celiac children he is considerably overweight, no matter how much/little/what types of food he eats. Nor how much excercise he gets he rapidly gains.

Not diabetic so with all my issues coming up his dr put two and two together and decided to do food allergy testing and is suggesting we de-gluten him so see if his weight decreases and to see if his tummy issues and moods improve.

Sigh...it's bad enough knowing I might have a problem but having my poor son maybe having the same problem breaks my heart

[Jestgar]

Sigh...it's bad enough knowing I might have a problem but having my poor son maybe having the same problem breaks my heart

Your child will grow up understanding the relationship between food and health. This is a gift very few parents seem to give their children these days.

[justjen]

Your child will grow up understanding the relationship between food and health. This is a gift very few parents seem to give their children these days.

You're right. We've battled his weight issues and stomach issues since he was born (he's almost 5' tall and weights 130 and is 8 years old )

He's getting picked on now and after many long talks with the dr's office this is the last rout to take to see if it helps

[starrytrekchic]

Yes, try him out with gluten free. Like a lot of people here, I gained weight after my symptoms started. I was a normal weight (135) until I started getting sick (~18 years old), then I ballooned up to 228 pounds over the next 9 years. It took me almost two years to fight my way back down to 155 pounds. I finally found out about celiac, and in the year+ since, I've had no problem maintaining my current weight. Makes me wonder how different my weight would have been if I'd had a proper diagnosis in the beginning!

[Wolicki]

Kids are suprisingly resilient. My little boy had the opposite problem, he was always very thin. He was 9 at diagnosis. He is doing so well now, normal weight, no more health issues at all, and has a deep understanding of what he can/cannot eat. He has turned into a little motivational speaker on the merits of healthy eating. It will be ok. Your little one is strong and so are you

[justjen]

Thank you everyone!

[Mizzo]

My 7yr old girl was dx last April at that time she had a BMI of 92% , now it's 96% since going gluten free, which is in the extreme category. Too many bad carbs was introduced by myself and hubby, not to mention eating out at Outback too much at first also. We go to Pedi for a 6wk healthy lifestyle check up and we are now very mindful of what we eat and are now on a 30 -45 minute daily exeercise routine. She is 53 inches tall and 86 lbs, tallest and biggest in her class since Kindergarten.

It's real easy to gain at first. My girl doesn't like many veggies and she stopped eating most fruits after going gluten-free so I substituted with carbs. Now we are back to 4-5 fruits and veggies a day even if its the same ones everyday. She also gets daliy multi vitamins , Omega for her cholesterol, and fiber supplements.

We put a a.m. snack chart and p.m. snack chart together she gets to pick her own, also with a lmtd dessert rule Mon-Fri of a no sugar Jello or fruit tube only. She is only maintaining right now but hope to lose when weather gets better. Also, we also eat lots of popcorn.

Good luck with everything.

[justjen]

My 7yr old girl was dx last April at that time she had a BMI of 92% , now it's 96% since going gluten free, which is in the extreme category. Too many bad carbs was introduced by myself and hubby, not to mention eating out at Outback too much at first also. We go to Pedi for a 6wk healthy lifestyle check up and we are now very mindful of what we eat and are now on a 30 -45 minute daily exeercise routine. She is 53 inches tall and 86 lbs, tallest and biggest in her class since Kindergarten.

It's real easy to gain at first. My girl doesn't like many veggies and she stopped eating most fruits after going gluten-free so I substituted with carbs. Now we are back to 4-5 fruits and veggies a day even if its the same ones everyday. She also gets daliy multi vitamins , Omega for her cholesterol, and fiber supplements.

We put a a.m. snack chart and p.m. snack chart together she gets to pick her own, also with a lmtd dessert rule Mon-Fri of a no sugar Jello or fruit tube only. She is only maintaining right now but hope to lose when weather gets better. Also, we also eat lots of popcorn.

Good luck with everything.

That sounds like my daughters weight and height (she is six). But she has no symptoms and is healthy as a horse.

My son has the mood problems, the tummy problems, the bowl problems (going between C and D) and constant nausea. The poor thing is already lactose intolerant (tho not bad)

Was your child diagnosed Celiac or Gluten intolerant?

[Juliebove]

My daughter was one ounce less than average weight at birth. She rapidly lost weight because of jaundice and because I was breast feeding her and not producing enough milk. We tried formula but that made her sick from one end or the other. We did not know at the time that she was allergic to milk and soy among other things.

She only put on weight after we began feeding her solids. And then she put it on rapidly and became overweight. She is 12 now and still overweight. Very active! She takes as many dance classes as she can and also an exercise class. She is so active that she developed Plantar Fasciitis. But it didn't help with her weight.

I see what she eats and what other kids eat. She eat less.

I was underweight until I was about 16. Was normal weight for a while, then overweight, then normal weight for a few years of adulthood. Pretty much overweight since then although I did lose weight and manage to keep it off from a pretty much starvation diet. I eventually gave up on that. Could not keep it up.

Daughter and I both have food allergies. I don't know if that has anything to do with it or not. I have spoken to my Endo. about it. He said I was just one of those people who wouldn't be able to eat much. It seems unfair. I have seen dieticians. I follow the diets they gave me. I am supposed to lose weight. I don't.