In Search of Skinny

Teens and Gastric Bypass Surgery

By Lisa A. Goldstein

Carnie Wilson and Al Roker have popularized gastric bypass surgery as an effective way to lose weight. What better advertisement for obese teens than celebrities whose before and after images can't be ignored? But Wilson and Roker underwent the surgery as adults. Is it safe for teenagers?

"The data in the medical literature shows that weight loss surgery is as safe in teenagers as in adults," says Dr. Milton Owens, director of the Coastal Center for Obesity at Chapman Medical Center in Orange, Calif.

But it's still surgery. "It's never safe," says Keith Ayoob, a registered dietician speaking on behalf of the American Dietetic Association. "It's drastic surgery that is used only when all other reasonable methods have failed."

What's not in dispute is the epidemic of obesity in children and adolescents. According to the National Center for Heath Statistics, about 15 percent or nine million Americans between the ages of 6 and 19 are overweight. This data, cited from 1999 and 2000, is triple the number from 1980.

For many teenagers, gastric bypass – also known as stomach stapling – is the method of last resort. By reducing the stomach's capacity to hold food, people who are severely obese can finally shed their weight. It's not an easy process, and it's even more complex for those of a younger age.

Dr. Louis Flancbaum, chief of bariatric surgery at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center in New York City, has performed gastric bypass on a number of teenagers. "Most surgeons agree that a teenager should have stopped growing (reached mature bone-age) before having surgery, which probably means 15 to 16 years old," he says. "In addition, I believe the teenager must be able to give informed consent (understand what the operation does and the permanent changes it will produce), the parents need to be on board and will provide an appropriate environment for success (cooking appropriate meals, etc.), and that a mental health evaluation be done."

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• Talk about it!