>>>
we're back now at 8:10. drastic measures being taken by teenagers to control their weight. doctors are seeing an increase to a number of
young people
turning to
gastric bypass
and
lap band
procedures. is that the right decision at such a young age? here's nbc's kristen dahlgren.
>> reporter:
for as long as she can remember she lived with a heavy burden.
>>
i would walk in the hallways with my head down.
>> reporter:
always overweight, by 17 she weighed almost 340 pounds.
>>
i thought that people were really looking at me, they were kind of looking at everything around me, i guess. so, yeah.
>> reporter:
she says she tried to
lose weight
.
>>
i've been to so many programs, so many
weight loss
programs. i've been to the gym. it's just like -- it was just like i was -- i would never see any results.
>> reporter:
but finally, turned to surgery.
>>
i was just kind of freaked out because i'm 17 years old and here i am i've never had a single operation in my whole life.
>>
how is everything?
>>
good.
>> reporter:
four years after
gastric bypass
she weighs 150 pounds less. one of a growing number of teens choosing so-called
bariatric surgery
for
weight loss
. some as young as 14.
>>
the bottom line is when these patients reach 300 pounds and they're adolescent and they have full bone maturity they really act like adults.
>> reporter:
the increase in surgeries come as childhood obesity reaches epidemic proportions. according to the
center for disease control
, 12.5 million kids ages 2 to 19 are now considered obese. almost triple the number from 19 eight. the doctors say that
weight loss surgery
is no
magic bullet
at any age and should only be used as a last resort. warning, some teens could face a lifetime of complications.
>>
it's not a quick fix. and even long term, many of these children need to maintain themselves on vitamins and nutritional supplements because of the surgery. so it's a
big deal
.
>> reporter:
at
child health
care of atlanta, teens have to go through a month-long program, including psychological counseling before even being considered for surgery.
>>
this isn't to make you pretty for the prom. the children that we see are going to
die young
if we don't do something.
>> reporter:
for evonia it was that
life and death
decision that she just finally gave her a life.
>>
i think that i took the interest of my life and it came out to be a
blessing in disguise
disguise. and, you know, i'm here and i'm happy, i'm enjoying life to the fullest.
>> reporter:
now lighter in so many ways. for "today," kristen dahlgren, nbc news, atlanta.
>>
had gastric band surgery two years ago at the age of 16-piece doctor is the
medical director
at new
york university
's weight management program. good to see you both. good morning.
>>
good morning.
>>
doctor, i think people are going to watch this and they probably watched her story there and have mixed emotions. on the one hand, great that she's getting health yes, and
losing weight
, great that she's got some of the emotional baggage lifted. on the other hand, they're probably saying she's too young to take this kind of a step. are they both right?
>>
i think to some degree the kids that go through the surgery have tried many things, as she had and as
matthew
can tell you that he has had. i think the impact of carrying over 100 pounds on your frame, societal biased that comes with that and just sort of the trapped feeling that people have and kids also have really kind of go forward and then make it so that this is not something that they -- like, it's not cosmetic procedure. it's actually quite necessary.
>>
you had this two years ago. and i would imagine you had tried a lot of other things first. how did you come to the decision?
>>
well, kind of spent a lot of my life overweight. after a long time of trying different kinds of diets, things like
weight watchers
and things like that which just wasn't for me i heard about the whole
lap band
procedure and stuff because my mother. she told me about it. she went to a whole seminar about it and we were educated.
>>
did you ask all the right questions? did someone counsel you on the risks?
>>
of course. we were given huge packets full of information, telling us what the risks were, the fact that it's not the kind of quick fix thing, it's a tool to help you
lose weight
. and you actually -- you were given a lot of information before you even started to consider it.
>>
when we're talking about a 16 - or 17-year-old, doctor, are there any physical risks that are different than operating on an adult? and then what about emotional?
>>
the one, we always make sure the kids are fully grown. one part of that is assessing bone maturity. generally we check, but 13-year-old girls will be fully mature if they're considered
morbidly obese
and 15-year-old boys. but having said that we do assess that. and just at nyu we do have a program that is a research protocol for the adolescents. it's not just done as regular surgery in terms of the you came in to have any kind of surgery and we put it through your insurance. this is under a strict protocol. it's done with counseling, as well.
>>
i want to mention that operating on people under the age of 21, you just told me still makes up only about 1% of your overall practice. so it's not happening all that often.
>>
true.
>>
and in terms of it, you have to give
matthew
advice to some other teenager out there who may have struggled the way you struggled and may be now considering a procedure like this, what would you say?
>>
i think first of all you have to be very educated on what you're doing. you have to understand that this isn't something that, no, i promised in three months i have to look good, surgery and drop away fast. i've been
losing weight
for two years now and lost 150 pounds and i'm still going. it's a process. people need to understand that the most important thing is to know that it's okay to mess up and it's okay to kind of have setbacks as long as you keep going. if you get the surgery done and you feel like you aren't
losing weight
fast enough there are things you can do to help you out. essentially with the team be hind you, nutritionists and doctors.
>>
seems to be working for you. that's most important.
matthew
, it's great to have you here. doctor, thank you so much.
