12 Year Old Gets Lapband

[green 6]

I have no problem with a young person being banded as long as they are aware of the stringent rules which must be followed once you have been banded. I would be inclined to say that 13 might be a little too young and I will explain my reasons for this.

According the Canadian Diabetic Society teenage insulin-dependent diabetics tend to go through a period where they bitterly resent their food restrictions and the general care which they must take with their health. They naturally want to live like the rest of their friends and they will eat carelessly and ignore or postpone other aspects of their daily regimen. This behaviour will always lead to sudden collapse into coma-like states and visits to the local ER. Moreover, screwing around with type I diabetes can lead to blindness or amputation. But, nevertheless, teenagers will go through a period of irresponsibility because they are tired of being different and of always having to be careful.

Folks who have been banded also have to be careful. We can't drink soda because carbonated drinks are bad for the pouch. So is overeating and so, too, is making a habit of PBing. Gobbling down our food is bad and living on fat and carbs is wrong, too.

Banding a young person who is morbidly obese, mature, focussed, and disciplined certainly seems like a good thing to me. Why require that young people suffer through years of yo-yo dieting, feelings of frustration and personal humiliation, as well as finding themselves socially marginalized? I can easily imagine that there are many 16 year olds who are ripe for this operation.

In the case of this particular child her psychological profile is very different. She is much younger and she has already been raised to expect that surgery will take care of everything for her. She has, afterall, already gone through the Lipo route with the blessing of her parents. Nor is she morbidly obese but only merely a chubbette at this point in time. And she is just entering her teen years; of course she is going to want to drink sodas and eat hamburgers and fries along with the rest of her friends. There is absolutely no way that this young teen is going to adhere to the Protein first, vegies and fibre second rule when her pals are inhaling junk food. This means that the band is not going to work for her and she will find herself with an enlarged pouch. She may possibly suffer other, uglier complications through her inevitable inability to comply with Da Rules: slippage, erosion, acid reflux, hiatus hernia.

[Kaydotrn 1]

Forgive me but I think the mother is probably at the root of her problems. I am making huge assumptions, but she seems to me like a mom who is maybe embarassed of her "fat" daughter and that has probably lead this poor girl to the compulsive eating habits she has.

I cannot look at this girl and believe she is a year older than my daughter. The make-up, hair and skimpy clothes make her look so much older. She is not even a TEENAGER! The fact that mom is tired of the "red tape" made me want to slap her.

I can understand not wanting the child to go through the torment of being a fat teen. I just think they seem so uneducated about the whole thing. "If she eats too much it will all come back up" Great mom, let's encourage her to be bulimic now instead, at least she will look good. ugh.

[Michee 2]

If the daughter had cancer, would anyone be saying that the daughter is not mature enough to handle to effects of chemo and radiation, or the effects of surgery on a brain tumour, and understand what is happening to her body. Is obesity any less deadly than cancer?

[Chickie 15]

If the daughter had cancer, would anyone be saying that the daughter is not mature enough to handle to effects of chemo and radiation, or the effects of surgery on a brain tumour, and understand what is happening to her body. Is obesity any less deadly than cancer?

Having cancer, and being the overweight daughter of a very shallow mother are two very different things (cancer = possible death vs over weight = a tough time at school, and maybe not being able to get a boyfriend, maybe some health issues, but I honestly doubt she was that overweight that she was suffering from such problems at this stage, otherwise she would have mentioned it in the interview)

This child, who has already undergone Lipo, and a Tummy Tuck (both in a quick fix type effort to lose weight) has just made a huge life change that most adults have to dig deep to find the strength to deal with. With her "mother" by her side, I only wish the little girl luck. Because she sure is going to need it.

And yes, obesity is a problem in the western world. But more people die from cancer every single day than of obesity. Its not even in the same league.

[Hip 0]

Vanity is a bitch.

[blahblahblah 4]

I'm torn....on one hand I wish I had had this surgery at 12 and saved myself years of obesity....but realistically, I think the mom is out of control...How about a therapist? diet camp? etc....lipo and a Tummy Tuck? ???holy cr*p...I didn't even think those were weight loss options.

However, to compare obesity to cancer is ridiculous. Both of my parents died of lung cancer in thier 50s....they went from healthy to dead in 6 months each...I've never heard of a person doing that b/c of obesity-- you could say heart attacks without prior heart disease, but they happen to skinny folks as well--and never to a 12 year old..I think she had quite a few years before needing to worry about that.

Rain

[zuchinno 4]

I don't think that she is mature enough or emotionally ready for such a huge change. The lap-band requires constant discipline to not "compulsively overeat" and make your band slip. My guess is, within 2 years, she's back in the OR because she made it slip by doing teenage stuff such as drinking alcohol or overeating. (I just came out of that stage, I remember).

[green 6]

I am inclined to agree with Chickie and those posters who follow her. Certainly no child, nor adult for that matter, is ever prepared to engage in the rigors of fighting cancer. This is something which is thrust upon an individual and it is always unwanted and terrible. The thing about cancer is that the patient will be helped by professionals along the awful road which he or she must follow.

Bandsters are not in this situation. We choose to arrange to have our hardware implanted and we do receive training in the band rules. From this point on our contacts with our banding team generally have to do with the business of fills and defills and depend upon us taking the initiative to consult with our bariatric team. We are certainly not carefully monitored during our weight loss process. This is our responsibility. It is for this reason that our situation differs oh so much from the individual who is under medical care for cancer.

This girl has received the band and she and her mum have likely had training in the bandster rules. As we all know, it then becomes our responsibility to follow these rules.

This is why, Michee, a number of us are expressing our distress and concern over this particular case. We don't believe that this kid has yet acquired the maturity and drive to monitor herself and we believe that her mum simply doesn't understand that for the band to be both effective and safe the kid is going to have to be careful about such things as not pushing her food intake and avoiding sodas, junk foods, etc.

It is interesting that you view the issues which hook onto this biz of weight control and cancer as being akin. I have got to confess that I have often felt, albeit on an emotional level, pretty much the same way. We all know that cancer can kill but we also know that cancer results when cells run amok; as my body began to grow fatter and fatter I had very much the same sense that my body was out of control, that it was running amok. I found this both humliating and frightening.

[Beka 0]

Having cancer, and being the overweight daughter of a very shallow mother are two very different things (cancer = possible death vs over weight = a tough time at school, and maybe not being able to get a boyfriend, maybe some health issues, but I honestly doubt she was that overweight that she was suffering from such problems at this stage, otherwise she would have mentioned it in the interview)

This child, who has already undergone Lipo, and a Tummy Tuck (both in a quick fix type effort to lose weight) has just made a huge life change that most adults have to dig deep to find the strength to deal with. With her "mother" by her side, I only wish the little girl luck. Because she sure is going to need it.

And yes, obesity is a problem in the western world. But more people die from cancer every single day than of obesity. Its not even in the same league.

In NZ I know that the stats say that obesity related deaths (including cancer caused by obesity) are the number one killer and kill more people per day than any other, maybe its just NZ but would have thought this was true for the whole western world.

Now I think yes this mother is a complete dill but if my daughter reached 12 years old and was 200lbs plus (which would class her as morbidlly obese not chubby!!) would I consider lap band if I knew that it was save her from endless yoyo diets (serious potential for heart problems), eating disorders, type 2 diabetes, self hate, bullying, tears and unhappiness - damn straight!!!! I would stand by her and support her 100% including helping her make choices and changes necessary to live with a band. Will this mother do that? Who knows - all I know as a parent of two that I will do anything to ensure my children are happy, safe and healthy, and isn't that all most parents want for their children.

[AmberWaves 0]

Did anyone happen to see the girl and her mother on Good Morning America this morning? Diane Sawyer was interviewing them. I feel sorry for that girl. I agree with everyone else, that girl is not emotionally ready for something like this, she is too worried about having fun and getting boyfriends. She didn't look that big, and she didn't look 13 years old, that's for sure. I'd be willing to bet it's the mother pushing her. The Mom was pretty much getting pounded by Diane Sawyer too, but I also didn't like a lot of the things she was asking too, it made me a little defensive myself...lol.

[zuchinno 4]

The girl may want it. Heck, I would have jumped at that when I was 12... but when I was 12, I also chose to eat a ricecake and a diet soda for a year. Little did I know that was anorexia and I most definitely didn't understand the longterm affects of my decision... which happened to entail stunting my growth to the tune of 4 inches. Who's to say that she has any grasp at all on what's going to happen to her?

Sure she might want it, and I'm sure insecurity drove her to go under the knife before, but is it ethical or wise? Obviously not, since they went all the way to Mexico in order to avoid psychological screening.

[zuchinno 4]

Oh yea, and also, her BMI was 31. She 5'5" and weighed 193lbs. She was one Body Mass Index point from not being obese at all. She wasn't anywhere NEAR being morbidly obese. Which classifies as BMI35+. Less than 15lbs or if she grew two inches, and judging by her frame, less, and she would be in the normal range. That's food for thought.

[Chickie 15]

In NZ I know that the stats say that obesity related deaths (including cancer caused by obesity) are the number one killer and kill more people per day than any other, maybe its just NZ but would have thought this was true for the whole western world.

Now I think yes this mother is a complete dill but if my daughter reached 12 years old and was 200lbs plus (which would class her as morbidlly obese not chubby!!) would I consider lap band if I knew that it was save her from endless yoyo diets (serious potential for heart problems), eating disorders, type 2 diabetes, self hate, bullying, tears and unhappiness - damn straight!!!! I would stand by her and support her 100% including helping her make choices and changes necessary to live with a band. Will this mother do that? Who knows - all I know as a parent of two that I will do anything to ensure my children are happy, safe and healthy, and isn't that all most parents want for their children.

If MY child got to 200 plus pounds, it would have been MY fault. As the parent of an 11 year old, I know that *I* am the one who feeds him, gives him money and watches what he does and eats. It would be MY fault.

There is no way in hell I would have him have Lipo, a Tummy Tuck, then a lap band because I am a pathetic parent and cannot help my child make healthy choices, and provide him with the types of food and activities that a growing child needs.

The mother in the the article is just like my mother. Given the chance my mother would have had me have lipo, a tummy tuck and a lap band, and still would have fed me crap, and expected this quick fix to work.

Parents are responsible for what their children do. As children they don't have the reasoning power to understand long term effects. That's why they have parents to guide them.

And cancer is cancer. Obesity is obesity. The two are in no way comparable. In no way at all.

[Finding My Feet 10]

OMG! Never mind the lap band, a Tummy Tuck and Lipo before you're 13?!!!! What is this childs mother thinking? And the doctors want stringing up. This is disgusting.

I don't think weight loss surgery should even be an option until you are 18. I would consider 16 for seriously overweight patients but only after extensive talks with the child AWAY from the parents.

Not every fat child grows up fat. I know plenty of people who were chubby kids (and with a BMI of 31 this girl falls into that catergory) and grew up to be slim adults. Most cite puberty as their turning point. At 13 I doubt this girl had "done" puberty and had a chance for her body to settle down again. I seem to remember it was a long process of a couple of years. I can't believe any medical person would mess with a child's body for cosmetic reasons until they'd been through puberty. Sickening!:angry

[zuchinno 4]

Her mother should be teaching her that there's no quick fix and teaching her good eating habits and above all getting her therapy for her disorder. She gained 35lbs in 6 months because she's a compulsive over-eater but what is anyone doing to help her with her very real psychological problem?

The bottom line is, over-eating, can make you unhealthy, but it is downright dangerous if you have a band. You can do some serious damage. It's her mom's responsibility to keep her child out of danger and she's just putting her right into danger with no emotional safety-net to ensure that she doesn't over-eat end up on the operating table again.