A Weight Loss Alternative For Obese Teens

Obesity can lead to a number of medical issues such as high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney failure that could eventually lead to heart disease. As such, one cannot ignore this if he or she is going to live a full and healthy life especially young teens.

A 17-year-old girl weighing more than 100 kg has very low self-esteem and finds every way to hide herself away from people because of her bulky body. She has joined weight-loss program, trying everything from slimming pills to dieting and exercise. However, nothing seems work for her.

Her BMI was dangerously high, between 33 and 34, comparing to the healthy BMI for Asian of 18.5 and 23. It seems that surgery is the last resort, so she decided to go for a lapband surgery, an operation in which part of the stomach is sectioned off with silicone band. After a 3-day stay at the hospital, she was discharged and she managed to lose over 30 kg after the operation.

Her life has been changed and she is much happier now. She is told by friends that she looks much younger, she is now a size 2 instead of size 6 and she can fit into T-shirt and jeans. The best part is she can now walk into any shop and buy clothes. In the past, she can only get her clothing from specialty shops that are selling plus-sized clothing.

There is increasing popularity of similar weight-loss operations among adults in United States. In order to determine its efficacy and suitability for younger patients, doctors at New York University Medical Center have conducted a study that involves 53 teenagers between 13 and 17 undergoing laparoscopic gastric banding. After the gastric band was inserted, participants lost almost half of their excess weight over the next one-and-a-half years, with only minor complications reported.

However, doctors in countries other than United States are more cautious. For instance, in Singapore, the surgery is only recommended to patients who are severely obese and there are complications arising from their obesity, like severe diabetes, high blood pressure and kidney damage. For teenagers, the age limit is set at 18.

Even teenage patients qualifying for lapband surgery are still required to go through a detailed process of screening to ensure their suitability and fitness for the surgery. They must also be counselled to understand the procedure including the possible risks and complications. The common known minor risks are perforation of the stomach and slippage of the band, though such occurrences are rare.

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