So What do we do About Fat Kids?

Someone posted earlier this week about the child that was removed from his home due to his obesity:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/27/200-pound-boy-ohio_n_1115213.html?ref=mostpopular

WE know that obesity is not always caused by overeating. Many medical and genetic factors may be involved. Meanwhile, we have children in need of the metabolic changes that certain WLS provides. Do we give them the surgery that they need while they are young, before physical damage is done, and preventing the emotional damage as well?

I say, "YES!" children with type I diabetes must learn and adhere to a medicalized lifestyle forever. Why not obese children? Give them a real chance at life unhindered by morbid obesity, but at a price.

But, it must be the RIGHT surgery. Something involving the intestines at least, something with a chance of overcoming insulin resistance and other metabolic reasons for obesity.

What are your thoughts?

What do we do for these children?

I don't know that i would sign my child up for a malabsorbing surgery,  because if an adult can get a deficency pretty quickly how would it affect a child??

There is too many unknowns of how it would affect them going through puberty..

While i do not agree with them being pulled from the parents arms
maybe not enough tests are being preformed on children that are showing symptoms of becoming obese before obesity actually hits..  can they do tests to see if they have too much of certain types of hormones?  i.e lipton or grehlin?... do they know if they are insulin resistant? are they being treated for metabolic disorders?

 I know that I would not allow wls for my children for one main reason.. especially ,malabsortive - like RNY - and the reason is - there are so many issues with lack of absorbing NEEDED nutrients like certain vitamins etc - that with a child that would be worse 10 fold - they still have growing bones etc and need alot more then we do - and with the food restrictions - theres just not enough "room" to put in all that they would need.

However - I to am VERY against the removal of the child.  What should be being done is assistance for the parents & children.  TEACH them NOW - so they have a better chance of not ever needing these surgeries!  At a young age - they are "moldable" and could "relearn" how to eat etc - but if you dont teach their parents too - its useless.  Also - instead of spending all that money on "foster care" (which we ALL know 95% of home are ****! these days, and just take these kids for either 2012 version of slavery or the money they get on them every month) - why not take that money and put it towards a fitness instructor/gym membership (if one local that accepts childs age) that will work with the child and get him/her INTERESTED in working out/exercising... The problem is kids are interested in that stuff.. its more about the playstation these days then bike riding.. but if they had someone available to them - that WAS into those things - they would be more apt to want to do them as well...

So bottom line - retrain.. not rewire!

The surgical treatments available today are not suitable for children.  What has to happen is a better way.  There are many drug companies working for the diet pill that really will work.  We all need a treatment that is safe and effective.  I believe that ten years from now there will be a pill that regulates our bodies. Then weight loss surgery will no longer be needed.  We don't need to take children from their parents, but we do need to find a way to get those children proper diet and exercise.  I don't have the answers, but I have faith that the answers will be found and applied.

I don't know.

My immediate response is no.

I can't imagine allowing my kids to have WLS.  I don't want them to suffer --- but --- I hope that when/if we have to make that choice, there will be more options.

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I'm not about to start recommending WLS for kids, but I'm torn as to the real issues at hand, here. I honestly think most of the time, the cause if poor diet/lifestyle. I know almost EVERY time I see these stories on talk shows and such, you have a very obese child with a mother who just sayd things like, "I just give him whatever he wants. I want him to be happy!" These parents need to learn to do what's in the child's best interest, not just try to pacify them all the time. It's NOT NORMAL for a kid to be happy ALL the time! They have to learn boudaries and limits and healthy vs. unhealthy and so on.

I can't imagine that all these fat kids have metabolic issues. Some, maybe, but not most.

THEN AGAIN...

Unhealthier moms = unhealthier offspring. With the reading I've done on the topic of "fetal origins," I can't help but wonder if pregnant mothers' terrible diets are creating these offspring who are born with the odds already stacked against them. Researchers have been able to link poor fetal nutrition to health issues even when the "child" is in their 30s, 40s, 50s, etc.

I don't think there is a real right answer on how to treat these kids until there is a real way to accurately diagnose the root cause. Even with type 2 diabetes, which has been long thought to be CAUSED by obesity, there is new research showing that metabolic issues may have begun prior to the obesity that could have actually contributed to CAUSING the weight gain to reach obesity. It's all a chicken-or-egg conundrum, and until we have real answers about what came first, we're potentially only treating symptoms.

So, I suppose I think the first step is to educate and monitor pregnant women! Pregnancy seems to be a good excuse for many women to eat a ton of junk food. Well, researchers have connected high levels of insulin during pregnancy (which happens more often when you eat a lot of carby junk food) to the offspring developing metabolic issues, such as type 2 diabetes, later in life.

I think that taking a child from his/her parents is the last thing that ANYONE wants to have happen, but I totally agree with what they did. It says in the article that they had been working with the family for nearly two years on the matter. During that time, I'm sure that testing was done to make DAMN sure that it was not a medical issue causing the weight gain. MOST of the time, obesity is young children like that is ABSOLUTELY the fault of the parent(s). There are those cases that a child's weight is caused by a medical condition, but usually that ISN'T whats going on.

Nutritional and fitness intervention should be #1 key. Eating less and moving more. That works...even for those of us that have had WLS. A particular surgery may have the added bonus (usually only initially) of malabsorption, but the absolute bottom line is that the amount of food we can eat is drastically reduced....sooooo we lose weight, ta-da! HOWEVER, if we don't take the surgery seriously and amend the habits that got us to our heavy weight to begin with, then even WLS will fail.

Also, Type 1 diabetes is NOT fixable with any WLS, that's type 2 DM.

No child needs to eat a stack of 5 pancakes at Ihop, that's freaking ridiculous...but I saw it happen not 2 weeks ago. The kid was WAAAY overweight and probably about 6 or 7 years old...and he was washing them down with root beer!

I would like the child to be old enough and willing to understand and adhere to what is necessary to keep themselves healthy. If it's their decision, I'd support it. You also want to consider the parents responsible for their physical needs. Is the parent willing and able to keep the kids healthy? I'm also the kind who wouldn't pierce any child's ears until they were old enough to want it themselves.

 I can only imagine that it is a parenting issue.  If it helps the child and he regains his health and self esteem in the process then it may be worth it.  They may also get a family member involved as a temporary solution/gardian.  Let's hope it turns out best for the child.