Free operations for obese children?

Question

Just read on Yahoo News that in order to stop obesity spiraling out of control weight loss operations will be offered free to obese children on the NHS. What happened to educating children about food, nutrition and exercise? Surely education and real information about what various food do is the first step rather than mutilating children by operation? As someone who has never had to struggle too much with weight I just don't understand how these kids are actually eating enough to get as big as they are. As a vegan, I'm concerned that a meat heavy western diet is killing this country slowly but surely and things need to drastically change, now.

Just to clarify, my comment about meat based diets being part of the problem is based on the high level of saturated fat in meat and other animal products (dairy etc.) I am not biased simply because I chose not to eat meat, I am not saying obesity is only a meat eater's problem, merely that it appears the obese people in this country follow a diet which contains a very high level of meat, often pre-prepared fast food type meat which is mostly fat. I am a vegan and obviously the health and environmental impacts of meat consumption concern me, but I'm not trying to say that obesity is down to meat eating, just that it plays a part in contributing to a diet high in fat, low in fibre and that's not good for anyone.

Answer 1

Get the parents off their backsides and the kids will probably follow. I live in Germany and I am always seeing other families out doing things together, going for walks in the woods, cycling, walking to the shops and so on and fat kids and adults are hard to find.
In the UK too many people are reliant on the car for everything. When I was younger, my brothers, my friends and I walked/cycled everywhere and we have never had a problem with my weight.

It should not be up to the government to educate the parents or the children. I learned about healthy eating from my parents because we used to sit down for home cooked meals and things like fast food and takeaways which are very much the norm nowadays were a very rare treat indeed.

It shocks me just how many young adults have no idea how to cook and rely on supermarket microwave meals which are loaded with calories and unnecessary extras and because of this they are not able to provide healthy meals for the kids. The story is the opposite for mainland europe.

There is also the culture of non responibility becoming very popular, people blaming their shortcomings on someone else.
The kids are fat because the parents make them fat, no-one else is to blame.

Take away their playstations etc and give the kids a bike.

Answer 2

I think this is a case of a journalist slant. Operations for obese children are being considered only as a last resort.

Of course you are right that better education is what is required. Not necessarily of children, better education generally and people taking more responsibility. I worked for Weight Watchers for 2 years and it's easy to see where the problem began. If parents don't know themselves they can't teach their children. 2 generations ago there just wasn't the choice of food around there is today. We haven't learnt how to deal with it yet.

I think you have a valuable point about the western diet. I live in Spain, I have noticed and alarming trend. When I first came here 10 years ago it was rare to see an obese Spanard, even rarer to see an overweight child, and curiously, Macdonalds were few and far between. In fact Weight Watchers pulled out of Spain in the 1980 because there wasn't enough fat people here. Now there are and more and they are not all English expats.

It is alarming, but I don't think the idea is that surgery will take the place of sensible eating, just in extreme cases it will be considered as an option.

Answer 3

To loose weight:

1. Go 4 jogging daily in d morning.
2. Do regular exercise.
3. Hav control on diet.
4. Avoid oily junk food.
5. Increase ur activities.
6. Never undrgo dieting.

JOGGING

Daily jogging is d best thing 2 loose ur weight.
Joggin shud b early in morning, in places where therz less pollution is preffered.

Jogging has following advantages:
1. It helps 2 loose weight quickly.
2. It helps 2 maintain proper shape (figure) of d body.
3. It helps 2 increase height.
4. It keeps ur skin free of acne.
5. It also adds 2 beauty 2 d skin, u will start looking beautiful.
6. It helps in proper body functioning.
7. Makes immune system stronger so that body doesn't contract diseases easily.
N many more..............

The only route 2 permanent weight loss is a combination of exercise and diet.

Very low calorie diets or fad diets tent 2 lead 2 d yo-yo phenomenon, in which people lose weight, then quickly regain all they've lost and more. The additional weight is often even harder 2 shed.

Thanx

Answer 4

As an adult Gastric Bypass patient , I strongly disagree to weight loss surgery being offered to children. This is not a miracle cure and requires the patient to be really dedicated about eating habbits.Vitamin deficiancy is also a problem without taking daily medication.
A child does not have the strength mentally to cop with such a drastic change in the way they live.
Over the last two years I have lost over 10 stone but have had a few problems along the way.
Anyone interested in finding out more about this type of surgery feel frr to email me about my experience
Stephanie

Answer 5

I totally agree with you! What is in the parents head when they let their kids get so over weight. I know in some cases there are genuine medical reasons for people being over weight but the biggest cause of obesity is poor diet. Did you see that report on the BBC about people who look slim but have fat on the inside around their organs and that can make you ill too? That's scary. My mum just fed us normal food, she didn't do anything special to keep us thin - how do people get it so wrong? What other sector of the NHS is going to suffer from funds being diverted for these operations?

Answer 6

Obligatory exercise - perhaps at camps where parents and children go to learn about health, fitness, food etc. would be money well spent. An operation isn't going to change the attitudes of kids. I realise some are obese due to medical reasons but am not sure an operation is the ONLY way.

Answer 7

Last one first, funding is running low because they won't appropriate any more money for it. The Republicans that is. I'm trying to figure out why you'd want to pay for something that has been shown not to work, every week someone comes out with another way to get rich instead of make people better, you really want to pay for every bottle of snake oil? The next bunch is more a refection of several things, I can speak from experience, yes, if someone is terminal and in pain taking extreme measures to keep them alive is hell for all concerned, especially the patient. Terminally ill means there is no hope, you just try to keep them doped up enough so they only whimper with pain. Terminal children are still terminal. We pay nurses too little, and ask too much, overworked, they can't always jump when a patient wants a glass of water, and if we want a change in the way patients are treated they can hire more aides, but they'd rather beat up on nurses than do that, its cheaper. Now, you've given examples of government run health care, but not insurance for-profit run health care, because its all irrelevant if you don't have it or can't afford it. The latest statistics show that less than half of all working adults have health insurance. So what difference does it make if you have to wait for a glass of water if you can't afford to go to the hospital in the first place? If you don't wait for your colonoscopy but instead don't go in for one, when it cost over three thousand dollars what with doctors and charges? And then you don't find the stage four cancer that kills you just as dead?

Answer 8

I agree. The article I heard on the radio talked about working with schools, the nhs and dietitians......not once did they mention parents. I guess they've given up trying to get the parents to be resposnsible for thier actions.

I'm a veggie, and just have no clue how people can get to this size while they are still young ( well, at any age actually )

I can only hope Darwin was right and its some form of natural selection.....The more meat you eat, the less likely you are to procreate.

Answer 9

At my heaviest I begged my GP for surgery to help me. she refused! And rightly so coz now Im doing it the healthy way...diet and exercise. This type of surgery for kids is disgusting.
I dont agree with your views on meat, you are obviously biased in that direction. The problem is more to do with the whole diet, not just one element of it!..;

Answer 10

Follow the 80/20 rule, which means eating clean 80 percent almost daily and indulging a little 20 percent of the time.