Teen Slims Down With Gastric Bypass
Getting The Surgery Is A Growing Trend Among Obese Teenagers
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Teen Undergoes Gastric Bypass
Obese teenagers are increasingly turning to gastric bypass surgery to help them lose weight. Cynthia Bowers has the story of one Illinois teen who hopes the procedure can help her.
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More obese teenagers are undergoing gastric bypass surgery to lose weight. (CBS/The Early Show)
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"The first memories that I have of school are of kids calling me names and stuff cause I was the little chubby girl," she told CBS News correspondent Cynthia Bowers.
That chubby little girl grew into a heavy pre-teen. By 17 she was considered super-obese at 409 pounds — and her health was failing.
"Sometimes my heart aches in my chest and I have arm pains and stuff and it just gets scary," she said.
She tried different diets like Weight Watchers, the Atkins diet and the South Beach Diet. Nothing worked. Ashlee's problem was much bigger than what she ate — she was genetically predisposed to obesity. Three years ago her father, Dave, topped 400 pounds before he had gastric bypass surgery and lost half his weight.
"It's changed my life," he said. "I mean I've gone from pretty much just being in the house to where I have a life now."
Ashlee has wanted a new life, too. The gifted singer and poet, who has loving friends and family, knew there was a thinner, healthier Ashlee inside, waiting to get out.
"This body almost is a prison to me and I really don't want to be in prison anymore," Ashlee said.
So she joined the growing number of teenagers going under the knife — a number that jumped from just 161 in 1998 to more than four times that in 2003. If the pace keeps up with overall trends, more than a thousand will undergo gastric bypass surgery this year. And because one-fifth of America's children are overweight or obese, the trend could continue to grow.
On the day of her surgery, Ashlee was nervous but ready.
"I'm excited about getting through the next couple weeks and then becoming the person I know I can be," she said.
Her sister Amanda said she hopes Ashlee will get "everything she deserves" from the surgery as she choked back tears.
Ashlee's surgeon, Dr. Constantine Frantzides, is a pioneer in teen gastric bypass. He was the first in Illinois to perform the procedure. Many doctors choose not to because possible long-term complications with teens are still unknown.
"Is there enough scientific data to tell us this is the best to do?" he said. "No. Is there gonna be in the near future? Most probably! More surgeons now say, 'Yes, this is the way to go.' "
The laparoscopic surgery creates a golf-ball-sized pouch from Ashlee's football-sized stomach. The new pouch is attached directly to the intestine bypassing the large stomach.
Ashlee's surgery was a success. One month later, for the first time in Ashlee's life, she looked forward to stepping on the scale. It turned out that she had lost 50 pounds, nearly 12 pounds a week.
"I wanted to jump up and down but I was afraid that the scale would break," she said.
Finally, she said she was able to see her feet.
"I haven't done that in a very long time so I looked down the other day and I said, 'My feet,' " Ashlee said. "They're pretty."
Her relationship with food may be changed forever, but she's OK with that. Ashlee's just waiting for her outer beauty to catch up to her inner beauty, one tiny bite at a time.
Learn more about gastric bypass surgery visit LapObesitySurgery.comand ObesityHelp.com.
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It's not just food quality and quantity. It's exercise.
Mind you, what's to be in shape for anyway? There are no rewards for good behavior anymore. Or education. It's all getting shipped to 3rd rate countries where the proven quality of their work proves they can't do it as effectively. Add in the piracy problem and combine it with their threats of trade sanctions against we, the country that gave them their wealth, and wonder why we reward wrongdoers?
If you can't beat 'em, join 'em? Where can I sign up?
BTW, i'm a normal sized person who exercises and is fairly slim so don't go sayin' i'm a fat person who is making excuses for others LOL.
I have a friend who don't over eat but he is has type 2 diabetes plus other health problems.So he does his best to lose wt. and that is not easy.
I don't think people want to be fat or ask to be.
I will tell ya what is sad there are Mums who do over feel their little ones and Mum is the blame as the little get health issues due the parents' abuse. Their children get bullied,and made fun of.
They die cos their heart gives out.
The parents ask why. I am trying to be genlte here but be truthful.
I am 52 and I try not go over 125. My late Gram said I eat like a bird. My room mate said the same.
Best whishes in your goals,
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by tm07-2009
May 24, 2007 12:15 PM PDT
- As the Mom of Ashlee, I feel that I need to respond to some of the comments that were posted here. People that have never had a weight problem, or had to worry about their health because of their weight, really should not have much to say to those who do. You need to walk a mile in Ashlee's shoes. When things like weight loss programs are tried and the most you can lose is 25 pounds, and you keep working and nothing more is lost, it gets very frustrating. Ashlee is genetically pre-disposed to being overweight because her Dad got up to 400 pounds, his side of the family has struggled with weight. I am considered overweight, and my side of the family has had the same struggles. So, gee, what does that say? I think it says that she was going to be overweight. Also, her metabolism is almost non-existent. Since the surgery, she is happier, her eyes are brighter, and she is looking forward to going to her senior prom next year a lot smaller than she was. So, people that have to be negative will be there is probably nothing that will change them. But, my daughter is an inspiration to other teens who may be super obese and do not know what to do. She is an inspiration to me because it takes a lot of courage to go through all of this, and she has more quality of life now.
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