Kids & WLS

How do you feel about kids under age 18 having WLS? I hate to see kids growing up obese, suffering bullying and health problems and social problems, but I'm not sure I was mature enough as a kid to make all the lifestyle changes that WLS requires. What do you think?

I dont agree with it .  Look at us adults we have problems tyring to follow the rules of WLS .   I dont think a kid is mature enough to understand what can and could happen to you if you dont follow the rules.  Yes there is a few expections out there that are very mature but in reality they are not mature enough.

Kids now days laze around playing damn video games,  talking on cell phones or should I say texting all the time and dont go out and play like we did as kids.  I never had a weight a problem as a kid that happened when I grew up my weight became a problem when I became adult .

I can remember being out from the time the sun came up till it went down and mom had to force me to sit down and eat my breakfast and lunch.  Now kids sit down on the couch from the time sun gets up to the time the sun goes down . 

Our society has changed because of technology and its not for the better . Look at the kids today.

You sound like you are my DH's twin.  I hear your words out of his mouth all the time.  

I think it depends on the kid and the parents or support system. My daughter has been considering WLS since the age of 16. Saw a surgeon for the band when she was 17 and decided against it(I have the band). She is Type 1 diabetic since age of 13 months and also has insulin resistance(type 2). She reconsidered it again last year, at age 19,  having learned about the sleeve and had her surgery last Monday at age 20. She has always been very mature having grown up with a chronic illness from an early age. She will tell you she did this for her health as her insulin requirements were so very high. She is doing really well but has a lot of support in her physician's program and also here at home and has been living with a post op wls patient for over six years. I agree that a lot of young kids will not be able to follow guidelines as they lack maturity. The one pediatric practice I had been in touch with when she was 16 had a comprehensive program for the young patients. So it really can be a double edge thing. I wish I could have lost weight in my younger years, early teens. Good question, though.

Very difficult. I can see that to prevent a lifetime of ill health etc, surgery might prolong and improve life.

But IMO (and I know opinions differ) surgery should be a last resort. Can a teenager really have tried everything?  Do the parents not have some control? Over an 18 year old, probably not, but I hate to see obese 11 or 12 year olds. Surely parents could help? I know i was so paranoid about my own size and my children either becoming obese like me or developing poor attitudes towards food that I became a secret binger. Made sure the family had good, balanced meal and developed good food habits, then snuck off and stuffed myself!  Sure it did not fool them! But they have all turned out slim, active snd enjoying healthy foods.

Some teenagers are very mature, but I am not sure others are able to fully appreciate the life changed. 

So no answer from me, Jean! i honestly am not sure.

In general I think it is a bad idea and would have to be considered on a individual basis. There are very few young people able to follow the strict rules and vitamin regimen some surgeries require. I think the family situation must be looked at too, see that they are all eating healthy foods and that any psychological issues must be dealt with first. Young people do not prepare their own food as a rule so the adults have to also comply with eating rules. Plus the very real issue of food addiction and how it plays a role in the weight gain of young people. Unless there is a medical reason for the weight you have to look at the family dynamics to see why the young person is over eating or eating the wrong foods.

I saw this work in my family. My mom was definately a food addict, she used it to calm her nerves and stuff emotions. My dad was just a normal eater and skinny as a rail. Since mom cooked the meals I ate what she fixed and when she needed a nice carby treat we got it too. My dad worked shift work so when he wasn't around and she was stressed it was pretty common for us (she and my sibs) to share one of those giant Hershey bars or she'd make cookies or buy ice cream. By the time I was an early teen I was pushing 200 lbs. Well with lots of starvation and totally the wrong way to lose weight I finally got down to a svelte 130 lbs and a 5'8" I looked pretty darn good! Once I was no longer living at home I ate completely different from the way my mom prepared food and I maintained that weight for years until I got pregnant. It took another several years to lose the baby weight but I did and kept it off until my lungs started going bad about 10 yrs ago. So I don't think my issue is food addiction, but mom's addiction sure affected me. So this is why I think it is extremely important to look at the family dynamics when considering WLS for younger people. We as adults have a difficult time dealing with all the aspects of WLS, it would be nearly impossible for someone that hasn't even begun to mature yet.