JUST saw this on the news!!! Mom takes 13 year old for surgery

[Guest BikiniBeachy]

Mom Takes Son to Mexico for Gastric Surgery | Momlogic

What do you think about this?

[kgloverii 0]

Mixed feelings. I'd wait till my kid was old enough, say 18, to make their own decision...

[Donna113 2]

I can certainly understand why the Mom felt desperate enough to do this. I just think it's terrible that the US won't help teens. Clearly, a child who's been overweight since infancy and ballooned to 300 pounds by the age of 13 needs help. Why does he have to spend his entire teen years miserable? I don't know what I would have done in the mom's place. I'm just thankful I have very healthy and fit children.

[Guest BikiniBeachy]

I think it's a little odd she didn't at least consult with the PCP. But I understand as well! To be honest, I don't think I could've committed to the "rules of the tool" at 13! I was always big, but at 13 I still felt like there would be a magic pill that would just fix it one day.

It wasn't til I was 17 and lost weight on Weight Watchers that I realized I had to take some responsibility for my size. At 13, I would NEVER give up the things I decided to give up for the band...Bread....Rice...and soda (drinking with meals).

I think this kid has a high chance of streching his pouch, BASED ON how I was at that age, but I pray he can be successful!

[Jachut 487]

I like the idea of a child being able to avoid painful, obese teenage years.

But in reality, I just dont think an average child of that age can handle the work it takes to lose weight - with a lapband or without.

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

Teens typically make better patients than adults. They are not trying to find ways around the docs instructions, they do as they are told.

I'm all for it. I think it's great. Bands or sleeves, either one. I'm not supportive of bypass in a teen but I am bands and sleeves.

Why should a kid suffer obesity? I had a Mom PM me the other day regarding her 13 year old son with a BMI of 52. What will his BMI be by the time he's 18? He could well be dead by the time he's old enough to make his own decision. He already has high blood pressure and diabetes.

Kids can't lose all this weight any better than we can. Why wouldn't they deserve the same chance at a life saving surgery?

[karen_karen 0]

first i would like to comment on the comments that were put on that website. i felt very sad about the way people have one sided minds. like just quit eating and other things.

secondly, i think that i would have totally done the same thing if my 13 year old was in that position. but i would have exhausted all means before doing so. i would have gave him an opportunity. plus i would have educated him. i would have told him one year and if i couldnt help him lose the weight then i am all for the band. but i just wont put him out there and say go try to lose weight i would have got on an excerise program for both of us to show that i can do it as well. and i would have also try to teach him Portion Control and what healthy foods are and what healthy foods weren't. i wouldnt expect him to lose weight without the support and means of me. and by that i mean i would have stuck right there with him and excerised and ate the same foods to show him it can be done. even with the band you still have to learn to eat right and excerise. and if i could see that he is mature enough to try his hardest and it still didnt work then i would be all for the band but i will give him the choice to make that decision.

his mother even said that she didnt make the right choices for him when he was younger i dont believe it was the boys fault i believe that it was the mothers for not educating and teaching her son to eat right but then again she didnt know how to take care of herself so how can we expect her to do the right thing with him? im happy that he did lose alot of weight already and i pray that he will continue to learn how to eat right and put some excerise in his life.

[BellaBean 0]

Good for her ad her son! As long as the son wanted the surgery too, there is nothing wrong with it. They knew the risks going into this and him being young. Being heavy in your teen years is very hard! He is also has only learned 13 yrs of bad eating habits while some of us have 20, 30, 40 years to reverse.

[Jachut 487]

I look at my own 12 year old who is showing the tendency to become heavy. I pray its just a pre puberty fattening up in preparation for the growth spurt. But truth is he's bone lazy and loves to lie around eating. I know what's ahead of him, but he doesnt and couldnt care less. He doesnt want to change and has no issues with his health (which is not great, he's very asthmatic) or any desire to improve that.

I cant see that banding him would do one iota of good right now. Perhaps by the time he's 15 or 16 and cares what he looks like?

But he's merely "quite overweight" and "not skinny" like kids usually are at that age, he's not obese.