Should Children be Allowed to Have Weight-Loss Surgery?

There is no getting away from the fact that childhood obesity is a growing problem that needs to be tackled. Unfortunately, children generally develop a weight problem because their parents feed them too much of the wrong kind of food and do not encourage them to exercise enough. Parents, themselves, do not always have the best eating and exercise habits, which makes it even more difficult for them to get their children to adopt habits that will help them to maintain a healthy weight. Sometimes, out of desperation, parents will consider the option of weight-loss surgery for their child.

This seems a rather drastic measure, as surgery always comes with risks and certain weight-loss procedures, such as a gastric bypass, are irreversible. If a child has a gastric bypass, he will only be able to eat small quantities of food and some types of food he may not ever be able to tolerate again. He will have to take an array of vitamins and minerals every day to ensure that he doesn't miss out on the nutrients that are essential for his physical development. He will then have to continue taking tablets for the rest of his life, if he is going to remain healthy.

Weight-loss surgery might seem like the quickest route to a healthy weight, but it should really only be considered as a last resort. There are instances where children are so heavy that they are unable to lead a normal life, are bed bound and suffer from serious health issues, and so weight-loss surgery can seem like the safest option. Ideally, though, children should be encouraged to eat healthier, to stop snacking as much and to exercise more. By building up a calorie deficit, anyone should be able to lose weight, however old they are.

A child may be able to lose weight rapidly after having weight-loss surgery, but surgery will not address what caused him to gain weight in the first place. A child who comfort eats may find that having the option to eat taken away from him can be a rather traumatic experience, in spite of the fact he is able to see changes happening to his body. However, for a child who has been obese for most of his life, it can be rather difficult to be more positive about himself, especially if he has low self-esteem that is related to his weight issues.

Weight-loss surgery has become an increasingly popular option for obese individuals looking to lose weight quickly. However, children are too young to fully comprehend what they are putting their bodies through and the implications for their long-term health. It is rather risky to allow a child to have weight-loss surgery when he may not have the self-discipline to stick rigidly to a very-low calorie diet, which could jeopardise the success of the surgery and cause other problems. Ultimately, to lose weight a child has to adopt healthier eating and exercise habits, which should mean that weight-loss surgery becomes unnecessary.
 

Is Weight-Loss Surgery Really the Easiest Option?

All types of surgery come with potential risks and problems and so weight-loss surgery is hardly an easy option to take. For those who are able to control their weight it might seem as though weight-loss surgery is the easiest option to help you lose weight, because who needs willpower when you have a physical barrier that prevents you from eating too much? Most people who have weight-loss surgery, particularly those who have a gastric bypass, can lose lots of weight very quickly and so it might seem as though no effort is required.

However, when you have long battled your weight, it can be extremely challenging to switch from eating whatever you want to eating very little at all. To others, it may seem as though you're losing weight rapidly and without much difficulty, but just because you're losing weight doesn't mean that you are able to get to grips with the reality of the situation straightaway. You find yourself no longer being able to eat as much as you want, and you have to be careful to take extra vitamins to ensure your body receives all the nutrients it needs.

Food is no longer your friend and it isn't something you can just turn to when you're feeling down. If you do binge on food, you will no doubt bring it back up again. If you regularly eat too much of the wrong kinds of food, the stomach that has been reduced in size may begin to expand, so that you are able to consume more calories. Your weight loss can stall and you may wonder why you even bothered to have surgery in the first place. Even if you do manage to lose weight successfully, you could be left with lots of excess skin that will require further surgical intervention to remove.

Even though you may be able to lose weight quickly after having weight-loss surgery, it isn't the easiest option, as you realise you have no choice but to completely overhaul your eating habits after the surgery. You also face the possibility of dying on the operating table or developing complications after surgery that could leave you in a great deal of pain and discomfort. Yet, if your weight is so problematic that your health is beginning to suffer anyway, you may feel that you have no other option.

When you have tried diets in the past that have failed to help you, you may become desperate enough to try anything else and after seeing the results that other people have had with weight-loss surgery, it is not surprising if it is something you consider. Before rushing into surgery, though, it is well worth considering the downsides of weight-loss surgery and to face up to the fact that losing weight is never easy, whether you go down the surgical route or not.