DEAR DR. GOTT: My 14-year-old grandson for years has had a huge appetite and is never satisfied. Unfortunately, he grew up on fast food and his mother’s home cooking added to the problem, no matter how we urged her to cook healthier foods. He is about 40 pounds overweight. He was never a fast walker or runner, and therefore, doesn’t like sports.
Recently he developed a very deep “croopy” cough, especially in the morning. Doctors blame it on postnasal drip. He also has very bad breath and nothing seems to help. He also has occasional heartburn. I remember reading a letter to you from a woman who said her cough was cured by using Prevacid.
Please help us by giving your advice; I’ll be forever grateful. I’m sure this is all related to his being overweight, eating the wrong kinds of foods and his lack of exercise.
DEAR READER: I’m inclined to agree with you on this. Some individuals with acid reflux and/or hiatal hernia experience a cough, especially in the morning upon waking. The backwash of undigested food and gastric juices can also lead to bad breath, especially if oral hygiene isn’t up to par.
Fatty, greasy, acidic, and spicy foods often worsen heartburn and reflux. Fast food is notoriously unhealthy and typically devoid of fruits and vegetables (French fries don’t count as a vegetable in my opinion). If he isn’t consuming a well-balanced diet with whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and lean meats in appropriate quantities, he will suffer even more over time. This is likely the cause of his excess weight and appetite (his hunger increases because he is ingesting primarily simple sugars and low fiber foods that digest quickly). I would also venture to guess that he’s tired a lot ,which may also play into his dislike of sports because he simply can’t keep up.
What would benefit your grandson the most would be diet and lifestyle changes. He needs to cut out the fast food, increase his intake of fruits and vegetables and start exercising. Because this has been going on for 14 years, it will take a while. Changes should be brought on slowly. He can start by changing his breakfast habits. Perhaps a whole grain cereal or oatmeal with fresh apples, bananas, mango or various berries added and a glass of 100% juice or lowfat milk might be appealing. If he can keep this up for a week or two, he can then attempt to improve his lunch habits in a similar fashion. Rather than cookies, cakes, etc., for snacks, he can try fresh veggies or whole grain crackers with lowfat cheese. Dinner should follow next. In a matter of weeks, with discipline and determination, he can change his eating habits for the better.
Exercise can be included into his daily habits in a similar fashion. He can start by walking for 5 minutes each day. As it becomes easier, he can add a minute each day until he is up to at least 30 minutes a day. At that point he may which to try jogging for 5 of those minutes and walking for the remaining 25. He may prefer to do this indoors on a treadmill while watching his favorite television show, as well, but nothing beats fresh air. Once he is regularly exercising for 30 minutes a day, he may wish to try some sports, such as basketball or soccer. Swimming is also an excellent source of exercise.
These changes should improve his appetite, help him lose weight, increase his energy, and improve his current symptoms of heartburn and cough.
These are changes his mother may also wish to institute since she is likely in a similar boat (most eating and exercising habits are learned from the parents/guardians). She isn’t doing her son any favors by continuing down this destructive path of fast foods, poor diet, and lack of exercise. As a general rule, parents want the best for their children, so she needs to step up to the plate and show her son that she can do it too.
Readers who would like to learn more can order my Health Reports “Hiatal Hernia, Acid Reflux and Indigestion” and “Losing Weight: An Introduction to the No Flour, No Sugar Diet” (a prelude to my diet book and cook book), by sending a self-addressed, stamped number 10 envelope and a $2 (for each report) US check or money order to Dr. Peter Gott, PO Box 433, Lakeville, CT 06039. Be sure to mention the title(s) when writing or print an order form from my website, www.AskDrGottMD.com.
