"Obese kids turning to drastic surgery"

[RhaChaCha]

This story just makes me heartsick. I always thought this surgery was barbaric.....but even more horrifying that more children and teenagers are doing it.

http://www.cnn.com/2002/HEALTH/diet.fitness/11/05/obesity.surgery.kids.ap/index.html

[asugar]

I saw that on the news yesterday and the entire concept of children and teenagers having that surgery done makes me sick to my stomach. I can't imagine any parent risking their child's health by allowing their child to have this surgery, yet I know there are some that do.
asugar :wave:

[Angeline]

The really sad thing is this is for children for whom diet and excercise doesn't work. Yet most of them have never tried low-carb.

I've heard a few people speak of their choice of undergoing gastric bypass. They declare that they tried all the diets, and go on to list them all. Well, I've never heard them mention Atkins or any low carb.

The medical profession is bashing low-carb, yet endorsing MUCH MUCH more invasive methods such as this gastric bypass.

Another interesting note regarding gastric bypass. I was listening to a report on some people who had undone the surgery years ago. One woman's comment in particular hit me. She said, well now I can only eat in very small amounts, so I must make the right choices. I avoid starches of all kind because they fill you up too much. From the above article, I gathered that sugar must be avoided because it will cause stomach bleeding. So I assume it must be true in this case as well. So...this woman is LOW-CARBING and doesn't know it !!

They should do a study on what gastric bypass patients eat after the operation. I bet it would be a real eye-opener.

[Kristine]

Sad. Utterly sad. Most kids are still growing in their late teens, and is it not true that during your 20s, your bones are still strengthening? Why in the world are they disfiguring these kids digestive tracts, impairing nutrient absorption, before they've even stopped growing and laying down bone? Why not wait until they're older? Heck, most doctors won't even perform a vasectomy or tubal ligation until you're 30. :rolleyes:

[Lisa N]

Truly sad and frightening. Heaven forbid that they eat less sugars and starches and more veggies; it might be dangerous! We haven't studied it enough yet! And yet, here we have doctors who have taken the Hippocratic oath which contains the words, "First, do no harm." performing a surgery formerly reserved for only very obese adults on children who have not yet finished growing and they fully admit that the long-term effects of doing this type of procedure on children who are still growing have not been studied and are unknown.