http://foxnewsinsider.com/2013/12/28/12-year-old-girl-denied-weight-loss-surgery-rare-illness

I saw the story on the today show this morning. Not sure which surgery they would do. Not lap band, cause you still need to make good choices. Whatever they do, shame on insurance company for being so blind!

Over $70k donated to her family to help pay for the surgery:

http://foxnewsinsider.com/2013/12/30/strangers-donate-more-60k-save-alexis-shapiros-life

The news story I read said the family wants the bypass for her. My problem with this is that the problem she has is that her brain says she's hungry even when she's not. How will the bypass help that? Seems it would be pretty dangerous just because of her age then you add in the possibility of her overrating and I can understand why the insurance company would deem it not safe.

I don't see how it would help either, not for long anyway. As soon as her body adjusts to the surgery wouldn't she just be in the same position anyway? The surgery doesn't change your brain, just reroutes your plumbing.

I saw the story on the today show this morning. Not sure which surgery they would do. Not lap band, cause you still need to make good choices. Whatever they do, shame on insurance company for being so blind!

You still need to make good choices with all bariatric procedures.

Yep, Bran, that's what I thought. The abnormality causes unrelenting hunger (as in eating a jar of peanut butter). How will the surgery help? I am heartbroken for this child. Heartbroken.

Evidently over 40k was raised by people donating. It just makes me wonder why a doctor would do the surgery. She will still have the head hunger that she has now because that is her primary problem. The article stated that she's on a 900 cal diet but sneaks food so much the parents at one time put locks on food. Seems psychologically there would be so much damage being done.

Let's not play doctor. It is always possible that psychological issues are caused by physical issues too. And a child does not exactly have any expectation of having self control. If there is an intense physical craving for food due to grehlin or insulin or other hormonal responses, the child cannot be expected to just tough it out. How do you know no psychologist or psychiatrist is involved? Don't assume the media is giving you the whole story. Their job is to get more eyeballs on the news story and thus on the advertising.

Anyway we are all grown adults and we probably all have pretty good self control in most areas of our lives, yet we are on a bariatric website. Why do we expect a child to be stronger than we have been?

I don't think we expect anything, just expressing our concerns that if it is neurological how much will bariatric surgery actually help and for how long. This isn't an emotional eater so to speak, so even if her stomach is smaller and "full" how would that be different from being full at any size if it's neurological and her brain isn't telling her she is full? I understand how it would help the weight related issues I was just curious what happens once her body adjusts to the tool, is she right back to where she was before? Do they know? Does anyone know of anyone in a similar situation or have any knowledge with validity on the concept? And you are right this is a bariatric forum, seems like a good place to discuss it to me.

None of us are "playing doctor". This is a discussion forum is it not? I'm sure there are many different types of physicians involved in her care and nobody here said that she is choosing to be this way. That is the point. If her body tells her she's hungry even after she eats then it seems the surgery could be very harmful for her. We are all here because we overrate and we did not even have the brain issue that she does. That's the point. It's hard to change our eating to a healthy lifestyle and for her even If she eats healthy her brain never tells her that her hunger is quenched. How will a bypass help that? Has it ever?

Mistysj I'm sorry but your response here just seems to be very belittling to those of us who were having a mature conversation. I don't understand the logic behind your assuming that any of us think we have the answers and for the record I never stated that I thought there was no psychologist or psychiatrist involved. Seems to me that you are the only one presuming things in this conversation.

I apologize.

What would you do if it were your child? If you've exhausted every other method known? Just continue to let your child gain to such excess he/she is literally going to die from comorbidities? Become positively sedentary because he/she weighs too much to be mobile? I'd try and get my kid the surgery. I know I'm the only one, but it's what I'd do if it could save her life.... And if it didn't work long term? Redo the surgery if need be? Then what? I don't know, but at least I tried all of my options.

I'm not saying by any means that I wouldn't do the surgery. No one knows what they would do in that situation until they have lived it. I obviously believe in the surgery or I wouldn't have considered it for myself. I was just curious of the long term affects for someone in that particular situation.

I'm not saying by any means that I wouldn't do the surgery. No one knows what they would do in that situation until they have lived it. I obviously believe in the surgery or I wouldn't have considered it for myself. I was just curious of the long term affects for someone in that particular situation.

Definitely food for thought.