New UK obesity centre offers surgery to teens

A London hospital has set up the United Kingdoms first specialist centre offering extreme weight loss surgery for children and teenagers

Childhood obesity rates are rising fast in the UK with latest statistics showing that a third of children aged 1011 in England suffer from obesity or weight issues

In Southwark the south London borough where Britains first paediatric bariatric weightloss surgery service is located 40 per cent of secondary school children are classed as obese or overweight

Ashish Desai the surgeon who decided to set up the new centre at Kings College Hospital to cater for 13 to 18yearolds said it was in response to what is becoming an epidemic So far he has performed drastic weight loss procedures mostly gastric band operations on four teenagers

Increasing numbers of young people in the United Kingdom are having bariatric surgery procedures that are normally carried out on adults The National Obesity Forum estimates that up to 30 youngsters a year are travelling abroad with their parents for such treatment

Such is the demand that hospitals in Sheffield Leeds Nottingham Oxford Cardiff and Newcastle are believed to be planning paediatric bariatric centres

The youngest patient Mr Desai has operated on was a 13yearold boy suffering from bone problems related to his obesity that meant he had to use a wheelchair

According to the Indianborn physician two of the other operations he performed are already proving to be successful

quotTwo of the patients who have had longterm followups of two to six months say they are extremely pleased with the resultsquot he said quotThey say that their attitude to food has changed completely And now rather than going for the chips and fried food they go towards the saladquot

Mr Desai said surgery can provide a lasting solution for a wide range of obesityrelated problems including diabetes sleep apnoea and bone or liver disorders

If patients maintain a good diet and exercise regime after having the procedure they can typically expect to lose between 30 per cent and 50 per cent of their excess body weight

One of Mr Desais patients Jayne not her real name had gastric band surgery in February having an elastic band across the top end of her stomach to restrict the amount of food she can eat before feeling full At the time of the operation she was 17 weighed 23 stone and had a body mass index BMI of 45

She said quotThere are things in my life that mounted up and I used food as my comfort I tried loads of diets but my weight was a brick wallquot In the two months after the operation she lost five stone and dropped four dress sizes

But Mr Desai warned that weightloss surgery is by no means a quickfix solution to shifting the pounds it is the last resort He emphasised that any young people who attend his service go through an intensive sixmonth treatment programme with a dietician a paediatrician and a psychologist

After this time patients must still meet strict criteria even to be considered for the surgery including having a BMI of at least 40 and having reached full puberty They must further possess the quotmental maturityquot to understand the implications of the operation quotThey should understand this surgery is drastic and will require lifelong commitment and changes in diet and lifestylequot Mr Desai said

Another important factor is the aftercare the young people receive with patients attending between 10 and 12 followup appointments annually

However Mr Desai added quotThe main goal that the community and the Government need to work together to achieve is to stop this problem through preventionquot

Date : 13 May, 2012
Reference : http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/new-uk-obesity-centre-offers

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