Childhood Obesity - Do you have an overweight child? We offer tips to help your child lose weight and get fit!

Shirley Alexander from the Children's Hospital at Westmead (in New South Wales, Australia) believes the growing problem of childhood obesity is outpacing available resources. As a result, surgery may soon become an option.

"'The hospital has recognized, as has the state (of NSW), that we need to do something and face this problem,' she told ABC Radio today... 'Part of the NSW health plan is looking towards funding some [surgery] so we may actually see an increase in surgical measures for severely-obese older adolescents.'"

The primary focus currently is a family-based approach that teaches about healthier lifestyles and encourages changes in the whole family. Source: The Australian News

Labels: lifestyle, resources, obesity surgery

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Fourteen morbidly obese teenagers who underwent laparoscopic gastric banding surgeries had lost an average of 20 pounds six months later, according to a study from the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. Though the Federal Drug Administration has approved such surgeries only for adults in the United States, this study was part of an FDA-approved inquiry into the safety and effectiveness of such surgeries in younger patients.

Dr. Ilene Fennoy, lead author of the study, said that she believes "banding surgery may offer the possibility of a new therapy for morbidly obese adolescents with medical complications" such as high levels of fat in their blood, high blood sugars, and poor liver function.

The surgeons who participated in the study put bands around the upper parts of the teenagers' stomachs to create small pouches that limit their food intake. A surgeon who has placed such a band in a patient can later adjust or remove it.

Stomach surgery for children and teens who are extremely overweight remains a controversial practice, in part because no one has documented the long-term effects of the procedure.

Labels: long_term_weight_loss, obesity surgery, long_term_health_risks

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Surgery is becoming an increasingly popular recommendation for the morbidly obese. The challenge is that surgery alone is not enough to make a lasting difference in someone's life  or weight.

"Although patients have a smaller appetite following the surgery, Ms Mathewson discussed their emotional needs surrounding food, and other psychological issues related to their eating habits such as body image."

People who struggle with obesity often have extremely low self-esteem, are depressed and socially withdrawn. If not addressed, these traits can continue even after a successful weight-loss surgery.

Labels: weight loss surgery, lifestyle, obesity surgery

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Liposuction and tummy tucks are inappropriate procedures for weight loss for people of any age. With the recent coverage in the media of a growing number of teenagers going under the knife to loose weight, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons is getting the word out about the lack of scientific data supporting the use of body contouring procedures to fight childhood obesity.

"'The teenage years can be extremely tough for kids who are teased about their weight; however, liposuction and tummy tucks are not the answer,' said ASPS President Roxanne Guy, MD. 'My message to young kids - proper diet and exercise are still the best ways to slim down.'"

While there may be some physical and psychological benefits from having the surgery, there is no data to support it's benefit to childhood obesity. Read more online.

Labels: weight loss, obesity surgery, liposuction

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Another outgrowth of the childhood obesity epidemic is that surgeons are seeing more and more overweight and obese children in the operating room. In fact, a recent study of records from over 6.000 pediatric surgeries performed at the University of Michigan hospital in Ann Arbor revealed that nearly a third of them were performed on overweight or obese children.

The problem with this? Those who are overweight or obese have a greater frequency of problems during and after surgery. One complication that is more prevalent in overweight people, including children, is post-surgical wound infection.

Labels: health problems, obesity surgery

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Overweight children have more surgery and experience more complications from their operations than normal weight children, according to a new study at the University of Michigan Health System.

Researchers studied the records of 6017 children who had surgery at the University of Michigan hospitals between 2000 and 2004. More than a third of them were overweight; half of those were obese. Many of the surgeries that the heavier children underwent had to do with being overweight, such operations for breathing problems, sleep apnea, and digestive issues.

The researchers also found that overweight children who had surgery experienced more complications, usually because of health problems associated with obesity and formerly diagnosed only in adults. For example, overweight children were more likely to be diabetic, which made them more prone to infections.

Michigan has one of the nation's highest rates of obesity, which means that what holds true there may not be the same in every other state. This study appears in the February 2007 Journal of the National Medical Association.

Labels: causes of childhood obesity, weight loss surgery, overweight children, gastric bypass, obesity surgery

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