What do you think?

February 5, 2004

I have a 17 year-old daughter who has struggled with her weight almost her entire life. She's been looking into different solutions and thinks that the Lap Band is right for her. Initially I was against it because its surgery and a huge step. However, I've seen what a painful struggle it is for her to try and fail at so many attempts to change her life, and after researching it more, I'm starting to think it might be a possible option for us. What do you guys think? And for those of you who have battled your weight since childhood, would you have had this procedure so young given the option? Thanks

shellyj · February 5, 2004

well i have been overweight since i was a child (i am 27 now well in 2 days) and i would have loved to have gotten it done when i was younger.

my only concern would be that she's mature enough which since your even considering it she must be. i must say kudos to her for picking the band. most people want instant gratification at any cost to their body. they do gastric bypass on people as young as 14 and i cant understand how someone that young could handle that drastic of a surgery. i couldnt do it at my age!

when i was 17 i could have been banded and worked it successfully. until you reach proper restriction you can still eat and thats a stressful time, there are ups and down and when they happen i recommend a support group (such as this) because most of the time people here have gone through it, are going through it etc.

i am sure she wants nothing more than to be a healthy weight. the lapband can help her achieve that! it is not a magic potion and she will have to work at it but it will work!!!

have her read through old posts and see what others deal with so she can see what she may be dealing with!

good luck!!!! let us know what you decide!

donali · February 5, 2004

I second Michelle's advice. I'll be 43 in a couple weeks, and if I could have been banded at 17 and saved all those years in between I definitely would have done it.

I will say, though, that my real weight started coming on during a very stressful emotional time in my life, and that if I had been able to get the kind of therapy on compulsive eating THEN that I got 2 years ago, it would have made the world of difference to me.

I believe that weight problems are almost always due to both physiological as well as emotional issues. The band deals with the physiological part - counseling helps with the emotional part.

Good luck to her!

Alexandra · February 6, 2004

I'm one of those who has been obese since childhood, and I think that had I been banded in my teens I might indeed have ended up a more normal-sized adult. For one thing, I may not have developed and refined the speed-eating technique that I'm now struggling to conquer.

But it's easy for me to say that because my particular demons were and are those most directly affected by the band--that is, quantity and speed of intake. If your daughter has other issues--a closet candy fetish, or secret binging, for example--banding might only add one more slight obstacle to be gotten around in the drive to eat. That is to say, perhaps even more than for an older person the evaluation process is extremely important.

The short answer to your question is YES, I wish I'd had the opportunity as a teenager.

February 6, 2004

Thank you so much for your replies. They have helped to ease my mind a great deal, as I was starting to lean towards letting her be banded. I happen to know that she doesn't hide food or binge on candy; her food choices are actually pretty healthy, its the portions she eats that are the problem, so the Lap Band seems like a good tool to help her control the problem. She is very mature and I definetly trust her judgement. But, being that she is not 18 does anyone know if an insurance company would cover the operation? I also don't know if her BMI is quite at 40, but there is a huge history of diabetes and other obesity-related problems on both sides of her family.

quakergirl · February 6, 2004

I had the surgery done at 20 years old (now 21), and I'm very happy with the results. I definitely think the band is better for young people than the bypass is. The band is more adaptable to changes throughout life than the bypass is.

As long as she is mature enough to eat sensibly, and can deal with giving up carbonated beverages (which might put a damper on going out for beers with her friends during the college years), I don't see anything wrong with getting the band at her age.

Did you see the link to the BMI calculator?

http://lapbandtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=74

If she isn't over 40, then going to Mexico might be an option. I know that there are some Mexican surgeons who will band "lightweights". I think the BMI >40 criteria is more appropriate to the RNY, since it's a far more drastic and dangerous surgery than the band. Someday maybe they'll lower the BMI requirement for the band.

Good luck.

claraluz · February 6, 2004

I wasn't obese as a child, but have been morbidly obese for most of my adult life - at least 15 or 20 years. Oh, how I wish I had had this option then! Being obese has caused me (and I dare say most of us) all kinds of mental distress in addition to putting my physical health at risk and making a social life much more difficult. Also, if she is morbidly obese or even close to it, she has almost 0 chance of ever losing the weight and keeping it off without surgical intervention. About 1 person in 20 can lose that much weight (and I was one of them). But hardly any are able to keep it off. Good luck to both of you.

Nancy

seanmama · February 7, 2004

I think most of the drs will only do the procedure on persons older than 18. I know my surgeon has an age limit. It probably has something to do with legalities. Could she wait until she is 18 and of legal consenting age?

February 17, 2004

I've been looking into self pay docs in Mexico, and so long as she has parent permission and is done growing (which she is) there shouldn't be a problem.