Written By: Bhavyajyoti Chilukoti | Updated : October 1, 2016 6:51 PM IST
Childhood obesity is a growing problem in India, thanks to unhealthy eating habits and sedentary lifestyle. There is a high chance you are raising a fat kid. While controlling diet and leading an active life can help in managing weight in kids, when a kid weighs 150 kgs or 200 kgs, losing weight through diet and exercise seems to be a daunting task. And in such a case, bariatric surgery is the only effective option that most parents think of. But how safe is it? Can a 15-year-old undergo bariatric surgery? So if you are planning a bariatric surgery for your kid, here is what you need to know.
When attempts to lose weight fail, then most people tend to go for ariatric surgery. And just like any other surgery, even this has complications. However, bariatric surgery can improve the life of a kid who is burdened by excess weight at his age.
Dr Ramen Goel, Director, Bariatric Surgery, Wockhardt Hospitals, Mumbai says, Bariatric surgery is typically recommended for kids who have attained their maximum height. When you say maximum height, it is after 13 years for girls and after 15 years for boys that they reach the maximum height. However, because of obesity, there are high chances that puberty might hit early, which causes the kids to reach their maximum height when nine or 10 years old. But we can find out that maximum height of a kid by doing an X-ray of the joints, which are usually fused when a kid reaches the maximum height. Hence, after cross checking the maximum height of a kid by certain X-ray tests, the doctor comes to a conclusion. But if a kid reaches maximum height by nine or 10 years, even then the experts won t recommend the surgery. Here are tips to prepare yourself for bariatric surgery.
Bariatric surgery in childhood obesity -- things to keep in mind
Dr Ramen Goel explains, We are extremely cautious when choosing a patient at such an adolescent age as kids this age undergo various developments not just physical but also psychological and sexual development. And hence, it is important to counsel them before surgery and mentally prepare the kid to undergo the surgery.
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