A.A.P. Announces WLS is Safe for Teens and Children

Hey. So I am actually a teenager who has done the loop ds. My surgery date was 7/18/19, about three and a half months ago. My starting weight was 270. My current weight is 212. Although I'm far from my goals, I'm feeling so much better and healthier both physical and emotionally. The side effects I am experiencing now are no where near the dangers I was facing due to my weight. My high blood pressure/ heart rate has reduced to normal and I can actually move around without being out of breath. My sleep apnea is gone. I would recommend doing bariatric surgery to anyone who is sick of failing and is ready to make healthy choices in their life.

I had the Sadi/ loop DS 5 years ago and it was a game changer for me. It's worked really well with minimal side effects.

Good luck with the journey!

I have mixed feelings. I think in many cases the benefits outweigh the risks and I understand the family goes through courses, (I think often obesity is a family disease especially with children or teens who live at home and tend to eat what is available or not). I would just hope that children and teens would be willing to follow the post op guidelines. I know that many adults struggle and I wonder how that is different or the same as children and teens. Maybe it is easier because they have not been obese as long? I think it would take a lot of commitment and self insight and accountability for sure, especially when factoring in the influence of peers.

I recall a teenager from Canada who had RNY the same time I did. She was not on Obesity Help, but another forum that I followed then.

She did extremely well, losing 50 pounds the first month, and then continuing to quickly reach her goal weight. Within a year she was out with her friends eating enormous loaded cheese burgers and ice cream desserts. She regained all of the weight and was looking for a revision at seventeen years old.

I do question the wisdom of the surgery for a young person who still wants to enjoy teenage activities. The surgery requires a life style change and that change has to last as long as you do not want to regain the weight.

I totally agree with you. But I still think the surgery should be more accessible to teenagers. There is a risk of regain for EVERYONE, doesn't matter what age. There are studies that prove that the younger you are, the easier it is to break a bad habit. If a teen is trained to eat healthier, they have an easier time adapting then a 50 year old who as been eating unhealthy all those years. Besides, the easiest way to treat an illness, is to not get the illness. Why wait until the teen grows up and developed major health issues that can be unsolvable? True there is a risk of regain. But that risk is a lot better than deadly illnesses due to obesity.

If you are able to learn the correct way to eat and have the determination to stick with it then this will definitely change your life for the better. I hope you continue to post and to share your success.

I totally agree with you. I am glad you are posting here on this. Do you feel you fit in well with your peers? Do you feel any sort of pressure or left out of certain activities due to any limitations from a healthier set of boundaries? You sound very mature. Do you worry about others your age who may not adhere to the guidelines, not just food-wise, but with vitamins and other self-care needed after surgery? Do you feel that you have a good support system? Do you find that online or in your "real life" environment? You sound very mature and focused. Good chances of success to you

I have an amazing support system, mainly due to the unfortunate fact that obesity runs in the family. 3 (of my 11) siblings and my mom had bariatric surgery, so I had a very good idea of what I was getting myself into. As far as me feeling left out, its quite the contrary. Up until now I kept mostly to myself, not wanting to embarrass myself. I was afraid of doing anything with my peers, lest I wasn't able to keep up with them. Eating in public was a constant struggle. I always felt like people are watching me eat. Since my surgery I have slowly been crawling out of my shell, and spending more time with friends. I am an introvert by nature, who'd rather lock myself in my room writing poems or reading. But social life is important and I'm glad to finally feel comfortable enough to 'hang out' with classmates. There is a risk of vitamin deficiencies and therefore in my opinion, teenagers should be recommended the vsg rather than malobsorbtion. In my case I was very committed and felt that this was right for me. Each to there own......

You sound like you are very level headed. I certainly don't want to judge anyone on age alone. I am happy to read that your life is blossoming now in not only your physical health but socially/emotionally. I tend to agree with you on the vsg if possible due to the risk of malabsorption issues but it sounds like you made an informed choice and I support informed choice above all else. It sounds like you certainly have the family support and I think that is very special. I hope that the trend towards health continues in your family. I have a large family myself, (come from one, have one, etc.) and I realize it is a special dynamic of its own. I appreciate you sharing your story. I really am keeping an eye on this younger generation coming up that will have the option of things like bariatric surgery that was not previously offered to younger people or even young adults. I hope you have a long, happy life ahead of you. You are very brave to make such a life affirming decision at such a young age and it sounds like it was the right one for you.