We’re not alone in our childhood obesity epidemic, nor are we the only ones handling it in an odd way, but our solution looks to be of the same instant-gratification no-effort style that is becoming so typical lately. Using surgery to “fix” your fat kid instead of buying them a rubber ball and a swing set will hurt the child far more in the long run than any upset some real discipline in their diet and excercise will cost them.
For decades, the number of kids trying weight-loss surgery has been tiny. The operations themselves were risky, with a death rate of about 1 in 50. Children rarely got that fat, and when they did, pediatricians hesitated to put the developing bodies under the knife. Only 350 U.S. kids had such an operation in 2004, according to federal statistics.
A group of four hospitals, led by Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, are starting a large-scale study this spring examining how children respond to various types of weight-loss surgery, including the gastric bypass, in which a pouch is stapled off from the rest of the stomach and connected to the small intestine.
Hell, run around outside with them and you’ll get thinner as well.
noname, you’ve got blinkers on. You have your mind made up and nothing will sway you.
My points:
(1) overating is not the only cause of obesity.
(2) physical activity doesn’t always work for weight loss.
(3) Genetics and metabolics have significant roles.
Your points (as I understand them)
(1) Fat people just eat too much
(2) Get out and exercise more and you’ll always lose the pounds.
(3) Fat people just won’t say ‘no’.
I may be wrong, but there is one thing I am sure of: your simplistic view of the world *is* wrong.
http://tinyurl.com/2s85zb
Opening paragraph:
The reasons for obesity are multiple and complex. Despite conventional wisdom, it is not simply a result of overeating. Research has shown that in many cases a significant, underlying cause of morbid obesity is genetic. Studies have demonstrated that once the problem is established, efforts such as dieting and exercise programs have a limited ability to provide effective long-term relief.
From the Medscape link, page 7/9
For an individual trying to lose weight, an adequate food intake can complement exercise, whereas a restricted food intake can antagonize an exercise program.