Nutri'Kids - Braine-l'Alleud Hospital

Why do we eat?

Food has two purposes

We do not eat for nutrition alone. 

We also eat in response to emotions:

• when we are sad, 
• angry, 
• happy,...

As a result, boiling weight problems down to the food we eat alone is overly simplistic. It is important to look at the problem as a whole. 

An individual's weight problem is just the tip of the iceberg, under which lies more deeper suffering, which is important to identify to break the cycle of overcompensating for it by eating.

Children may find it difficult to express their feelings or to identify what is wrong. The cognitive-behavioural therapy allows you to relate to your emotions and sensations and to support your motivation in the pursuit of your objectives.

Our psycho-dietary approach comprises multiple phases

Individual follow-up

Once a month.

Psycho-dietary workshop

Once a month with 5-10 children.

Workshop with parents

Once every 3 months.

Individual follow-up

Working on a one-on-one basis makes it possible to work with the child on the following:

Group workshops

Group workshops help to tackle the issues connected with weight problems with specialists in different areas of expertise:

• Workshops in taste, smell, touch, ...
• Identifying sensations experienced during meals
• "Pâte à chef" cooking workshop
• Identifying physical emotions
• Work on assertiveness and self-esteem

Workshops with parents

Sessions intended for parents in order to help them in their everyday lives:

• Which products should I choose when I go shopping?
• How can I decide what to eat on special occasions?
• (Re)learn how to cook vegetables
• Support my child in his/her efforts

Collaborative effort between a doctor, psychologist and nutritionist

Because obesity is not a question of weight

The 'Nutri Kids Clinic' is proposing an innovative method of handling weight problems in children: fun and instructional workshops combined with a psychological approach based on hypnosis and a mind-body method.

In practice

1. First point of contact with Ms Caroline De Longueville, nutritionist

Phone : 02/434.72.18

2. Three options:

• Follow-up with the nutritionist
• Multidisciplinary follow-up with the psychologist as an outpatient
• Multidisciplinary follow-up with the gastro-paediatrician, psychologist and the nutritionist which could result in medical tests over 3 days in hospital.

3. Assessment report and follow-up addressed to the general practitioner.