Obese Teenagers

[Serena]

I was going through the newspaper today and I came across this article which I found a little interesting. Here it is:

Teenagers on Surgery Weight List
Janelle Miles
Health Reporter

QUEENSLAND taxpayers have started funding weight-loss surgery for grossly obese teenagers.

Two of the operations have been performed in Brisbane on Royal Children's Hospital patients, aged under 15, in the past couple of months.

Doctors have asked Queensland Health to triple the number of weight-loss operations for adults and adolescents annually in the growing obesity epidemic.

This week 89kg English eight year old Connor McCreaddie made headlines around the world.

George Hopkins, the only publicly funded weight-loss surgeon in Queensland, said the laparoscopic gastric banding procedure was the best way for the severely obese to lose weight. "I don't want to come across as too cavalier. I always say this is the last resort," Dr Hopkin said.

"But at the moment, the evidence in the medical literature is that if you want sustained, significant weight loss, an adjustable gastric band is the way to go. We're achieving 60-plus per cent excess weight loss, on average, and it is sustained. Other treatments that are offered can achieve 10 or 15 per cent and that's usually temporary.

"Gastric banding is a safe and reasonable option and not a peripheral 'way out there' option."

Dr Hopkins, who also operates in the private sector, said the youngest person he had performed the procedure on was 13. One 153kg 16 year old he operated on three years ago has since trimmed down to 83kg. "We're getting really great results," he said.

Gastric banding involves keyhole surgery to place what amounts to an adjustable belt around the top of the stomach, dramatically reducing the volume of food able to go in.

Dr Hopkins said most patients left hospital within 24 hours and the procedure was reversible.

He has performed about 100 publicly funded weight-loss operations at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital in the past four years.

Another 300 adults have been waiting an average of fives years for the procedure although there is no waiting list for children. Despite the long waiting list, Dr Hopkins said Queensland Health was relatively enlightened regarding weight loss procedures compared with other states.

He said obesity-related conditions such as heart failure, diabetes, sleep apnoea and high blood pressure were drastically reduced after surgery.

Dr Hopkins said before he began operating on teenagers, pediatricians working in the public sector were "throwing their hands up and saying there is nothing workable we can do".

State Liberal leader Bruce Flegg said when all else has failed, gastric banding should be available in the public sector. "all the other interventions should have been tried first - the diet advice, counselling, behaviour therapy, family therapy, trying to sort out other issues that may be a factor in their home life and so forth," Dr Flegg said.

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After reading this, I began to think what is going on with our society? It reminds me of that Jillian radio where she talks about physical education. I mean physical education for me was compulsory in high school from grade 8-10, then year 11-12 it was an elective. Physical education was usually from 0.5 - 1 hours a week. I mean reading that article is scary, seeing a 8 year old who is 89 kg. I mean is 0.5-1 hour of PE really enough? All we did was throw javelin for like 1 hour, shot put, nothing really cardio. Not even to mention what they sell at the canteens, chicken burgers, hotdogs, pies, flavoured milk. I don't even think there is salads.

What even drew my attention was this surgery. I mean is that even a good idea?

[sammydc]

It is scary to think that children so young are so out of shape. I think the even bigger problem is that we look at someone's weight and then judge their health when many skinny or normal weight children are just as unhealthy.

I also think there are so many reasons for it too though. Junk food or food with a lot of additives,preservatives, crap in general is so much cheaper. When I was in uni and struggling each week with money, it was cheaper to get a meal from any fast food restaurant that included burger chips and a drink than it is to buy a salad and a bottle of water.

I think it's great that McDonalds have included apples slices and healthier options (although the adult ones are still way more expensive).

But then back to society again - we are all so worried about academic achievements that generic sport (that without the competition side of things) just doesn't seem important.

The only way to change things I think I one person at a time. I am trying to change myself and my family by trying to eat healthier things that don't cost the earth and putting a little bit more effort in and one day of the weekend is going to be spent at the park playing games and running around like an idiot.

My four year old has started doing Jillian's dvd's with me - although he mainly jumps up and down and laughs and then makes me laugh and we don't do much of what Jill does, but I am hoping that he will make him realise how good exercise can make you feel (after the pain!! ha ha) and he won't be one of these children that may have to have surgery to save his life becuase of bad eating habits.