Child stomach surgeries more popular

[rodeodance]

gosh, this blows my mind. We really have to do more with Preventive health vs this type of madical care!



http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070204/ap_on_he_me/obesity_surgery_kids;_ylt=AnvAJ440COhi.15LApFVSJzMWM0F;_ylu=X3oDMTA3b2NibDltBHNlYwM3MTY-


Child stomach surgeries more popular

By DAVID B. CARUSO, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 26 minutes ago

NEW YORK - As the popularity of stomach surgery has skyrocketed among obese adults, a growing number of doctors are asking, "Why not children, too?"
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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.

But improvements in surgical technique and huge increases in the number of dangerously obese children have begun fueling a change of heart.

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.

[Katherine Brengle]

1. This is beyond disturbing...

It's troubling enough that adults are resorting to this kind of crap instead of taking care of themselves properly from the get-go - now we're passing this on to our children?

Ugh.

[MsKandice01]

22. The surgery saved my life..

I've lost over 200 pounds and over 5 years later, I'm still doing great and I would do it again tomorrow if I had to. Unless you've been morbidly obese yourself, to call the surgery "crap" is a bit ignorant, in my opinion.

That said, I think it's a bad idea for children.

[Katherine Brengle]

23. I think it has a place --

but that education and prevention should be part of everyone's lives.

I'm glad you had a good experience, and I hope you continue to have one.

[lilymidnite]

42. Mine too

I wish I hadn't waited until I was 49 to do it, either.

Surgical 'centers of excellence' are the way to go for best outcomes.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

55. I was normal weight as a young adult.

Now I'm obese and I have a very slow metabolism. My thyroid is dead and i take thyroid everyday and will have to, every day until I die.

Gastric bypass or stomach stapling would not help me lose weight. The only surgery that would help me would be liposuction.

[BoneDaddy]

59. and how does one become morbidly obese?

I don't believe in trashing people who are obese, but at some level you have to question the behaviors that got one "morbidly obese" without fear of being labeled "anti-fat".

It should be the last intervention, not the first.

[MsKandice01]

61. Of course...who said otherwise??

I do realize that it was my own behavior that caused me to become morbidly obese in the first place but don't think that the surgery was my first choice. I tried Weight Watchers, Richard Simmons' "Deal A Meal", diet pills, medically-supervised weight loss programs, Atkins, Slim Fast, the list goes on and on. Each time, I lost weight and ultimately gained it back, plus more. I'd lose 40, gain back 60, lose 30, gain back 45, lose 60, gain back 90, etc. Being over 200 pounds overweight, with that kind of history and looking at a surgery which has an 85% success rate, as opposed to dieting and losing that huge amount of weight and keeping it off, which has a 2% success rate, which option would you choose?

Oh..and I was only 25 years old at the time.

[BoneDaddy]

62. Awesome

Sounds like you have done tremendous work. I wasn't necessarily picking on your post, I just hear a tremendous amount of rationalizing and justifying from people putting forth an image that "fat is beautiful" crowd that is extremely dangerous and wrong. People are who they are and I am aware of genetic body types and I am not criticizing things that are beyond people's control, but morbid obesity is not natural, nor should it be lauded.

We have the most obese, sick kids on the planet. That needs to be addressed not with surgery but with healthy living.

[MsKandice01]

66. The "big is beautiful" thing is often used as a mask..

That people put on when they're actually very miserable inside. Being fat, especially in this country, is not fun at all. Fat prejudice is the only prejudice in this country that is still accepted by society and, to be a large person who sees it everyday, it's enough to make you extremely depressed. Depression begats hopelessness begats more eating. It's a vicious cycle. As I started losing weight, I was astonished by the differences in how I was treated. People spoke to me when they got on the elevator with me, people smiled and said Hi in the grocery store, I wasn't ignored by salespeople in stores, I was actually an individual again, not just "the fat woman". Unless you've been there, it really is hard to understand what it feels like to be morbidly obese, mentally and physically.

[BoneDaddy]

67. YOu are correct

just as I don't know what bulemia, schizophrenia, bi-polar and so on feel like and I am sure it is agony at times.

I guess for me I am resisting the whole move in this country to "victimize" everything. It really takes away from the "real victims" out there who were victims of violence, coercion etc..

If someone says something that offends you, you are not automatically a victim. This is life, it ain't easy. I just try to balance out DU in regards to the people who see a victim in everything and that really bothers me.

I worked with a young woman who fled the violence in Sierra Leone, was gang raped, shot in the foot trying to escape and eventually made it to America pregnant with the child of one of her unknown rapists. When I come in here and listen to the professional whiners who want to PC everybody's speech, I feel like gagging.

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. Just as I finish reading this, I look over at the TV

and see a family of 4 very obese people. :scared:

I watched a show last week about obesity in kids. They said 80% more kids are obese today than just 10 years ago.

[MissB]

15. It seems to be a complete reversal.

I used to hear my sil complain about how hard it was to find husky clothing for her kids (they're all overweight).

Now a little more than a decade later, I have a helluva hard time finding slim pants that are slim enough not to fall off my two kids.

Same problem she had, but in reverse.

[AndyTiedye]

26. The Food Has Not Changed in the Past 10 Years

What has? 10 years go the rave scene was in full swing.
Kids would go out and dance the night away.
I didn't see a lot of obese ravers. Dancing is good exercise.


Now there are no more raves in most places.
Now the only kids who get enough exercise are those who are good at sports.

[Doremus]

27. When did they start using high fructose corn syrup, partially hydrogenated

fats and all that other unnatural junk that adds no nutrition but is loved by the food industry for its low cost?

HFCS is horribly fattening and it's an ingredient in most prepared foods, especially those most kids want -- sodas, sweets, hell it's even in most ketchups for cripesakes. The body doesn't metabolize it the same way as cane sugar and it can pile on the pounds in a short period of time.

[AndyTiedye]

30. But None of That Is New

HFCS was already in all of those foods.
They switched from sugar to HFCS during the 80s.

[shanti]

38. yes ketchup

and everyone knows that kids (generally) love ketchup! also, coffee creamers, you know, the flavored "international" creamers? they are loaded with hfcs. back in the day, people just used cream and sugar in their coffee and that sufficed. but now....well, you catch my drift!

[theHandpuppet]

28. Too many videogames, not enough sidewalks

Sounds simple, doesn't it?

But go to any neighborhood where there are sidewalks (usually in older neighborhoods) and look around at the kids you'll see playing there. I'll bet you'll find few obese children. I know this is the case in my neighborhood.

What good are sidewalks? They allow kids the freedom to skate, skateboard, jump rope, use their bikes, visit friends, walk to school or to the playground, socialize. Most suburbs don't come with these old-fashioned amenities because a) they're so far from schools, shops and playgrounds you have to drive to get anywhere and b) sidewalks cost money and cut into developers' profits.

Kids who live in neighborhoods without sidewalks have no where to go unless they want to play/walk in the street, which is why they sit on their ass and play video games. Mom and Pop driving them to their assigned activities only goes so far. Kids need the freedom to exercise and socialize in a non-regimented setting. You'd be surprised how many kids, given the option, would rather spend time on a friend's front porch on a summer day rather than sit in front of the tube.

Unless it's absolutely freezing the kids in my neighborhood are always outside, commuting by foot between homes and activities. They even -- horrors! -- WALK to school, the playground, to football games.

Yep, sidewalks. It seems like such a simple thing, a thing for which most parents wouldn't give a second thought when they're out selecting that new house in the burbs. But is that home really kid friendly and kid healthy? Think about it.

[AndyTiedye]

31. The Suburbs Didn't Spring Up In The Last 10 Years Either

[laundry_queen]

49. The ones without sidewalks have.

It's the same everywhere now. All the new 'burbs 10 years ago when we were starting out and looking at new homes, had sidewalks. Now I've noticed in the last few years, none of the new developments do. Cost too much for the developer. Backyard size is shrinking as well. Some backyards are hardly big enough to install a swingset in. Again, smaller lots = more lots = more money for the developer.

[rocktivity]

50. I think raves gave you a little too MUCH exercise, LOL

But you're right in the respect that the root of the problem is that kids aren't physically active enough (of course, the Internet and video games don't help). Making your kids dance to their favorite songs twenty minutes a day would help enormously!

:headbang:
rocknation

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

56. And sleep deprivation. THAT couldn't be good either. -nt

[rocktivity]

58. A friend of mine worked a rock club

and she said one day, the police came around to warn the owner about the dangers of Estacy. She said the owner told them, "We don't play the kind the music that REQUIRES that you be on drugs!"

:rofl:
rocknation

[NobleCynic]

68. No kidding there

I'm 6'0 and it is nigh impossible to find slacks with a 30 W.

Every day I think a crusade against high fructose corn syrup is more and more relevant.

[SmokingJacket]

3. Horrifying, indeed.

This operation makes it so you are malabsorbing food for the rest of your life. It's a desperate measure for adults... but for kids, there's got to be a healthier way.

[Quantess]

4. Along with questioning the health value, I doubt the long-term effectiveness.

In adults, the effectiveness of the surgery diminishes over time, because the tissues gradually loosen, and the stomach gets bigger again. How would it be any different for children?

[ProudDad]

5. It's their diet, Stupid!

This is such bullshit, closing the barn door after the livestock's gone.

The real solution?

Outlaw junk food ads on TV -- they're just as deadly as cigarette ads and can be banned for the same reasons. (I know, I know, the cigarette companies "voluntarily" removed their advertising -- but they only did it to avoid the inevitable legislation that was pending in Congress at the time)

Outlaw junk food in schools!

Levy a HEAVILY PUNITIVE tax on junk food and drinks. (Kill ADM and Cargil)

And Universal Single-Payer Health Care -- both for preventative purposes and for the poor bastards for whom the above remedies are too late!

[Katherine Brengle]

6. The real solution is for people to educate themselves on proper nutrition and then pass that along

to their kids. I learned it on my own, everyone else is capable of the same thing.

There IS a place for personal responsibility in this world.

The solutions you have offered are important, but secondary to people making an effort on their own imo.

[alarimer]

20. But why is junk food allowed in schools?

There should be no soda machines, no snack machines at all in schools. They only reason they are there in the first place is that it makes money for the schools. We need to fund schools properly so this isn't necessary.

I also think we need to hold corporations accountable. McDOnalds etc. need to post the ingredients up front where everyone can read them. Next to the Big Mac sign in large print: Contains 10x the recommended daily allowance of saturated fats and the number of calories etc.
These companies get away with all kinds of shit in the name of free enterprise. It is no conincidence that the rise of obsesity is right in line with the expansions of these companies.

[Katherine Brengle]

24. I agree with you --

I don't think any of that crap should be in our schools. I don't think there should be fast food commercials on children's television channels.

But ultimately, it comes down to the parents. You have to teach your children right from wrong - in all things.

Unfortunately too many parents don't know their ass from their elbow when it comes to exercise and nutrition.

[alarimer]

48. I think you are right as well

About the parents regarding exercise and nutrition. But a lot of that information changes all the time or is very conflicting. I can't even keep up.

This also brings up a larger question of what is happening to our society. New neighborhoods almost never have sidewalks or places where kids can play outside. The sidewalks in my neighborhood are in such bad shape you'll twist an ankle just walking on them. Everyone is so afraid of "the boogeyman": there is hysterical fear all the time about all kinds of things, often brought about by our local news media (if it bleeds, it leads) that no one even dares walk outside. And don't get me started on how nothing is ever in walking distance so we all have to get in our cars and drive.

[Pithlet]

47. What about the kids of parents who don't know better, or don't care?

Or for whatever reason don't have the resources other parents have? Most of all, what about the fact we're dealing with kids, who 9.9 times out of ten will forgo the healthy stuff for the junk if their parents aren't there to reinforce what they're taught. Personal responsibility is not an excuse to allow companies to fill our kids' schools with junk food. It doesn't matter how much you care, or how much you teach your children. If the junk food is there, they're going to eat it. They're kids. And the kids who have parents who feed them crap at home will at least have one decent meal a day. Our responsibility as parents and citizens goes beyond just teaching our own children to eat right. Please don't take this personal because the following rant isn't directed at you, but as a general rant against the phrase "Personal Responsibility". I'm really growing to hate it because too often it is used to excuse the bad behavior of corporations and other powerful entities. There probably isn't much we can do about the pervasiveness of junk food in general. I wouldn't want to see it banned outright, myself. But we can keep it out of the schools, or drastically cut its availability there. That would be a huge start.

[Frank Cannon]

17. Diet and, just as important, activity

When I was a kid, if I wasn't FORCED to sit on my ass doing homework, I would be outside playing. I came back to the homebase as little as possible. Neither I nor any of my friends were overweight.

Now you practically need a crowbar to pry kids away from X-Box, Playstation, Wii, etc.

[fujiyama]

51. Atleast Wii gets the kids up and moving a little

We had video games when we were kids but once in a while one of our parents would kick us out of the house - or we'd go outside on our own and ride our bike. Hell, I remember riding through some wooded areas with hills - all those places are gone having been developed to build more McMansions.

And it seems like a lot of the people that buy these are working crazy hours to pay off their mortgages, paying little attention to what their kids are eating. After all, you give a kid a couple bucks and now they go to a vending machine. Atleast when I was in elementary school, you had to actually buy the snacks from somebody - and they'd do their best to make sure you had an actual lunch.

[depakid]

29. That's the ticket!

Get the damn ads off TV especially during children's viewing times- and get that shit out of the schools.

[hedgehog]

7. Makes me wonder how much insurance companies will pay for surgery

vs. an exercise program and weekly direction from a dietitian!

[lilymidnite]

41. 6 months medically-supervised diet/exercise

is the norm pre-requisite for most insurance companies prior to covering this kind of surgery. The article mentioned that and that most kids who did this were not able to diet and exercise enough to get healthy -- eventually still had surgery.

I agree it is a desperate measure, and should only be done as a last resort. I wish I had done it when I was 19 and not 49. 30 years of dieting destroyed my metabolism.

To the person who says the stomach grows back to normal eventually, that is not correct. The scars eventually heal and the stomach softens, but in no way could I ever eat like I used to. If a person can, they more than likely have developed an enlarged stoma (the outlet from the pouch to the small intenstine). This can be repaired.

Diet control and exercise are *not* the only answer. Obesity is incredibly complex, with food and exercise being paramount contributors. However, the high-fructose corn syrup dominating our food (even in 'light ' yogurt) and highly-refined grains also contribute. Our terribly stressful lives contributes as well.

-150 lbs, kept off over 1 year (a miracle)

[AX10]

8. Good nutrition is what is needed, not another medical procedure.

[JerseygirlCT]

13. And exercise, and probably at that point, some

therapy to help with the "whys" behind overeating.

Not to mention parents who are willing to change their habits, as well.

I know some kids who are definitely overweight. I'm certain their parents wouldn't agree to surgery to solve the problem. What's been helping is oversight. Saying "no, you can't have another helping, you've had plenty". (I remember eating out with them, and the kids ordered several entrees each -- how in the world do you do that?) So at least the parents are wising up and helping the kids put the brakes on.

But the earlier good habits start, the better, I'd think.

[MindMatter]

9. America at it most dusgusting worst

Just lay off the Fritos and game-boys. Mix in some veggies and a walk from time to time and you won't be obese.

[Porcupine]

10. How often do you see kids outside playing?

I actually freak out because I worry that if I let my girls go out and something happens to them I will get attacked for letting them play at the SCHOOL across the street after school hours.

This is wrong but nobody is willing to address the roots of these kinds of problems. It comes down to demanding that every child be supervised 24/7. Once you do that it's easier for many parents to just buy the bonus cable package and an Xbox and lots of junk. At least you know where the kid is right?

[JerseygirlCT]

14. It's true -- it's much harder these days.

We're lucky to have a nice neighborhood, with lots of kids, and parents who are often out, watching. We often informally take turns... But I'm so much more cautious with mine, then my parents were with me at the same age.

It does make it tough. I spend a lot of time in a lawn chair, outside with a book, so I can keep an eye on things. But as long as it's not too cold, the kids need some time outside running around.

[AngryAmish]

36. Kids don't even walk to school anymore

People hear about the terrible child abduction stories so they think it is prevelent. It is not. So kids are ferried everwhere in the minivan.

Kids play less self-organized activites. (Like the good ole rock fight).

Kids spend more time with the computers and gaming.

Bad food also.

Many causes of this problem.

The bad thing is obesity means you are less active which just increases obesity...

[The2ndWheel]

43. Isn't that how we wanted the world?

To all live like kings?

"Kids play less self-organized activites"

Chalk up another victory for specialization.

[lilymidnite]

44. Gosh, enlightenment

I wish you'd told me that when I was 5.

I don't have to justify my existence to anyone, but prior to my gastric bypass, I lost/regained over 350 pounds in several failed 'diet' attempts. I logged over 500 miles swimming in laps pools, over 1500 miles on bike. Don't give me any 'just eat less and exercise' crap. Obesity is just not as simple as that. Unless you have lived in my body for 51 years don't even think about making that kind of statement.

[RogueBandit]

11. Whats in the food, not the food itself

I think it's about what's put into the food while it's grown. All the veggies, milk producers and the meat sources are fed stuff to make them bigger...even if not tastier (that gets added later).

It would be nice to see a study of organically fed children versus the others. I'd bet the organic kids have a reasonable weight.

[shanti]

21. high fructose corn syrup

it's the debbil! lol no really, hfcs is in practically every processed food. cutting out the processed food and fast food and getting off one's butt is the key.

[KurtNYC]

12. Many people eat for the way it feels

I see people who are more driven by the way eating feels than hunger or taste.

Many foods are sold as if they are drugs and some foods (red bull, starbucks) really are drugs. Phrases that describe other psychotropic effects are now part of pop culture: the sugar rush, comfort food, the Big Mac Attack, Coo-coo for Cocoa Puffs.

Hunger and eating are increasingly disconnected from each other. People are not drinking Red Bull because they are thirsty. And similarly, much of junk food can be eaten even if you are not hungry. It is like that irresistible dessert that comes after a big meal -- it has an appeal that is not limited by the absence of hunger.

With booze, pot and cigarettes in decline, food is THE drug of the 2000s. People eat when they feel sad, anxious, bored, etc. And we celebrate every holiday with an abundance of food. Our kids live in the same world we do. And McDonald's is always ready with a "Happy Meal"

Bypass surgery or banding is merely treating the symptoms. Hopefully it is accompanied (or better yet preceded) by counseling and education.

[Irreverend IX]

16. Liposuction at 10, breast implants at 16...

It reminds me of an old Onion article about storybooks written to help small children deal with the pain and alienation of plastic surgery.

[AnOhioan]

18. Stop taking kids to McDonalds, Burger King, et al

And stop feeding them crap at home, and make them go outside and play as opposed to sitting in front of the TV or PC. I have a friend who's daughter just eats crap all day, chips, candy, etc....and then my friend wonders why her kid is gaining weight.

[underpants]

19. Hold it! Stop it! Surgeons and hospitals wouldn't do this if it didn't work

and they couldn't bill for it

[AndyTiedye]

25. Obesity Wasn't a Problem Until They Shut Down the Raves

Dancing is VERY good exercise.

[Kablooie]

32. Since spanking might be illegal in Ca. this might be an good alternative punishment for kids.

If you don't behave, I'll cut out your stomach.

[AtomicKitten]

33. Obesity has more serious complications

than this type of surgery, assuming it is used as a last resort.

[noonwitch]

34. I'm sure there are occasional cases that require this extreme solution

Kids with medical conditions that are causing the weight problem, not an overeating/lack of exercise thing.

For the overeating/lack of exercise, the kids need to eat more homemade food and less tv dinners and fast food, and they need to join Little League/The Y/PeeWee Soccer, or whatever activity will help them.

[mainegreen]

35. Video games combined with playgrounds having safer, less fun equipment.

I mean wheres the merry go round? The 20 foot high slide? The monkey bars? What's there now? A stick of wood and a 3 foot long plastic slide with textured plastic to slow you down. We've padded our kids so much that they are afraid to go out and play because they might get hurt. Better stay indoors.

[Javaman]

37. One simple thing to keep kids from getting grossly overweight...

cut out all forms of corn syrup from their diets. Problem fixed. Yes, exercise helps, yes, proper diet helps, but the rise of obesity in this country can be matched directly to the use of corn syrup in processed foods.

Here's an alternative. check this out...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevia

http://www.stevia.com/

[confludemocrat]

39. This is one screwed-up country n/t

[BluePatriot]

40. Yikes.

That surgery sounds very drastic in children. I feel the obesity epidemic is from convenience foods/eating out/fast food/lack of time to cook and lack of space to run around/exercise/play more than poor knowledge about nutrition. And, artificial sweetener...leaves you less satisfied than if you had enjoyed the real thing and makes you eat more...loads of women like me feel artificial sweetener is a good diet choice to cut calories!!! (Nope. Try enjoying what you REALLY want to eat in a small, rich portion. And nix all diet beverages and drink water...please try it once, it's really amazing) I'm sure my parents know that eating fast food twice a day is bad for them but they have no time to do otherwise and are unwilling to spend the $$$ on healthier foods they "enjoy less."

[The2ndWheel]

45. Lack of time?

No, no, no, no, this is 2007. We were supposed to have more free time.

Time is one of the worst inventions in history.

[BluePatriot]

46. Yeah, I remember the argument

that technology was supposed to give us more free time....yeah right, it just led to our "masters" squeezing more productivity out of us at less cost and enjoying the profit while we scramble around...

[fujiyama]

52. People talk a lot about obesity

but it looks like nobody wants to really do anything about it. Surgery is a "quick fix", but I think these are quite risky. It's really unfortunate.

Kids should be playing outside when their young, but when there are few sidewalks, no nearby parks, no trails or other wooded areas for kids to explore and have fun, they just aren't going to get any exercise.

It seems like things have just got worse over the years. With so much sprawl, all those types of places I used to enjoy (just 17 years ago) are gone - replaced by McMansions and Condos. And people are barely able to afford them, working insane hours to pay off a mortgage, and are not paying attention to what their kids are eating - which is largely junk food through a fucking vending machine in a school.

[AndyTiedye]

54. And The Usual Parental Solution is to Push The Kids Into Team Sports

A lot of the kids aren't out playing because they are off at soccer practice.

A whole generation of parents have become "soccer moms",
ferrying their kids in the SUV to the favored sport of the season every day.

This is not a new phenomenon, but the pressure on kids to participate in team sports
today is probably unprecedented.

Team sports are supposed to give the kids exercise, teamwork skills, leadership skills
all in one go, or so we are told. I guess it actually works sometimes, if the kids have
some natural athletic ability to begin with.

Those who don't, warm the bench. The worse you are, the more you warm the bench.

Is it any wonder that kids who do not develop athletic ability really early on tend
to develop a distaste for exercise?

[sakabatou]

53. There are a lot of factors to this

But this is very disturbing look at our health.

[Jonathan50]

57. Born in 1950

I see a big difference in the culture today in many ways.

When I was a kid, the very last place we wanted to be was anywhere around the adults. That was one of the big reasons we went outside and played all the time.

Today, my grandchildren are underfoot constantly even though they have a three acre yard in which to play with a swingset, basketball goal, big sandbox and etc. I will say that in the summer they spend a lot of time in their large and nice pool, but my daughter watches them like a hawk then. My oldest granddaughter at six years has "six pack" abs though.

As to sidewalks, my neighborhood is a lower middle class, mixed race subdivision. It was built 18 years ago and has no sidewalks. I see the local kids playing in the street all the time for the last 15 years and we have had no accidents with cars and kids. The residents know the kids are out there and take it easy while keeping a wary eye out.

My diet was not that great growing up. Lots of meat and potatoes, lots of sweet tea, lots of butter and mayonnaise and my dad would go the Lays plant and buy shopping bags full of broken chips sometimes. I'm somewhat overweight now, but growing up I was thin as a rail.

[Kerrytravelers]

60. I agree with a lot of what is being said here. I have a few addition al thoughts.

In the past, people had lives that required more physical labor. Technology has changed that. Consider washing clothes. At one time, we carried the washing down to the river. Then, we brought the water to buckets and scrubbed in on a laundry board. Then washing machines were invented, but there was still the labor of hanging the laundry on the line outside to dry. Then driers came into being and we had less and less to do. And then, the technology was improved even more and now, the laundry practically washes itself. Less manual labor frees up our time... and then the technology of entertainment overtakes us. How many hours a day do you sit on the Internet... on DU? How about the television?

Mr. kt and I have been examining how we use our ties lately. As we hit our thirties, we know that our metabolism will begin slowing down. We both work jobs that has us sitting a lot in front of the computer. We have taken all this into consideration as we look at our lives. Before the weight begins to overwhelm us, we have become much for faithful about going to the gym. We take walks. We limit our entertainment time in front of the tv. We are careful about the portions that we eat and the calories and fat that they contain. We both have a family history of diabetes and obesity and we have made a decision that we don't want that happening to us.

And this following isn't necessarily referring to everyone who has had the surgery, but many people want a quick fix. They don't want to do the work to get the results that they want. We've become a "I want it now" society. There are many reasons for the surgery, I couldn't possibly know them all. But I don't think for a second there aren't unscrupulous doctors in the world who will happily do the surgery and all the follow ups that may be needed for a quick buck. There are people willing to pay whatever it cost to get what they want, whether they should have it or not. In the Los Angeles area, where I live, a story broke a few years back about doctors who would perform unnecessary C-Sections on women at 7.5 -8 months along who didn't want stretch marks. The health of the baby isn't the first concern, apparently. The names of these doctors, the very same one who swore and oath to put the needs of their patients first, were passed around from women to women until an overwhelming majority of these doctor's patients were women who wanted the unnecessary C-Section. Given that, I have to wonder how many doctor's are granting people's wish to have this surgery, but not dealing with the issues that come with food and the surrounding health concerns? It may seem a stretch to connect the C-Section doctors to doctors who may be performing gastro-bypass unnecessarily, but is it really? Unfortunately, there are people willing to exploit another person at their most vulnerable.

[redqueen]

63. Too much fast food, soda, candy, video games, & tv.

That's the way I see it, anyway.

Parents should be role models and show them a good lifestyle. That's the ticket.

[Odin2005]

64. The MSM has made parents so paranoid that they lock thier kids inside.

Gotta protect them from all the child molesters and drug dealers that the MSM says are on every street corner, don't ya know? :eyes:

[davsand]

65. There IS no quick fix for every problem.

I with there COULD be, but it just isn't there.

I know entire families that are fat. You can see this phenom where ever you go--restaurants, malls, movie theaters anyplace where people go in groups. I was at a PTO thing just last weekend, and I bet at least 10% of the families exhibited some sort of overweight or obese members.

In one family, Mom, Dad and all the kids are FAT. It isn't a matter of just the poor diet (and yeah--I've SEEN these guys eat and they DO eat a crap diet) it isn't just a matter of a lack of physical activity. Those kids are like little rocks--they do not play like average kids. Those parents are not setting a great example, I'll grant you that, but I doubt they are much worse at parenting than a lot of other families. I think there may be more at work than just bad parents and bad foods.

Literally, I have seen them out in a restaurant and there is such turmoil at the table, I doubt that they even REALIZE how much food is in front of them. When you couple that level of discord at the dinner table with poor food offerings and lack of exercise, I can see how kids end up in dire nutritional straits. They are overeating and "under nutrition-ed," I think.

I honestly think there may also be some sort of physical issue there that keeps them from wanting to be active and wanting to stop eating when they are full--and this is above and beyond the usual distractions at the table. I've seen a lot of articles lately that talk about blood sugar control and insulin resistance--even in little kids. I honestly think our food pyramid that encourages a lot of grains and carbs probably is creating some of this same food craving and inability to recognize satiety.

Frankly, I think our entire attitude about food and how we view it has got to make a radical change or else we are (as a nation) gonna be seeing an entire generation that is shorter lived than we are. Stomach reduction surgeries for kids is only the beginning, I think.

I'm gonna keep on educating my kid about food choices that emphasize whole grain and minimally processed foods, and I'm gonna keep on making our family (yes, we go as a FAMILY) trips to the gym. I want my kid to see us MAKE time for our health. I want her to realize that health is not just something that happens.

I can't change society, but I will do all I can to make sure my kid understands that foods are, in fact, both a joy and a drug.


Regards!


Laura