RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Evidence indicates that eating habits established during childhood related to food intake persist when the child becomes an adult. Parental obesity is positively associated with the development of obesity in the offspring, who tend to become sick and obese young adults during the reproductive phase and end up looking for bariatric surgery in order to reverse the non-communicable diseases (NCDs) already established. METHODS: This cross-sectional study evaluated 40 children aged 0 to 10 years, whose mothers underwent bariatric surgery at the Center of Morbid Obesity, Hospital São Lucas, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (COM HSL PUCRS). RESULTS: Among these children, 45 % were overweight and 16 had high waist circumference values. The total energy intake and sodium consumption were above the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) for the age group, while dietary fiber and potassium intakes were below DRIs. Obese children had higher percentage of lipid caloric intake (28.3 vs. 25.3 %, p < 0.025), while the non-obese group tended to have an increased consumption of carbohydrate (62.6 vs. 60 %, p < 0.066) when compared to the respective DRIs. The presence of NCDs in children's relatives was 100 %. CONCLUSIONS: There is probably a significantly higher prevalence of obesity among children of morbidly obese parents when compared to the general child population. Since the familial aggregation of NCDs was absolute, these results point to the need for careful evaluation when dealing with children. However, further studies with a larger number of individuals are needed to confirm these results.