Hi there.. I am 23 years old 5' 5" and 305lbs. I am looking into getting lap band. I have attempted multiple diets including weight watchers and going to the gym. I am a paramedic and my job is pretty demanding and sometimes its tough being that I am soo out of shape. My only medical problem is asthma and seasonal allergies. I really want to loose weight before I develop hypertension and diabeties. I was wondering if 23 years old is to young to have a surgery. Also how to convince my doctor who things I can loose it on my own to let me have this surgery.

My insurance is MVP.. I dont need referals which is a nice thing. Does anyone know any good doctors in the hudson valley? Id appreciate any information possible. Also how to get started.

My Dr. in CHicago does lap band on 14 - 18 year olds who are very overweight. So 23 is not too young. Before I could get insurance approval, I had to have 12 months of weight loss counseling with my primary Dr. and document it for INS. if this is something you really want there should be a way to get it, but it may take some time. Good luck to you!!

I am 26 and on the road to having the surgery very soon. I began looking into it when i was about 23, but my insurance did not cover it until now, so here I am! I think the earlier you can get a handle on your weight, the better it is for you long term. I have very few comorbidities right now, but I know if i waited till i was 35 or 40 I would have a whole host of other things wrong with me. I believe this is the best time in my life to do it. I also live in the Hudson Valley (Tarrytown) but am having my surgery done at NYU in the city because a) it is a "Cigna Certified Bariatric Center" which means its in network and they tend to recommend the drs there and :grouphug: the doctors there are some of the best in the world at lap band surgeries. I am sure there are doctors further upstate who are very qualified, but I felt it was worth the short trip to the city. Just my $0.02.

Guy - I don't think 23 is too young. I wish I'd been able to do it at 23. Your an adult and why not nip this in the bud now instead of waiting another 10 years until you do have health issues?

I would suggest going to a few free seminars in your area. That will give you a good idea about what the docs are like and give you some good info. Go to LapBand.com and you will be able to put in your zip code to find docs and seminars in your area. This website is also a wealth of information. I thought about having surgery for a year before I took the plunge. I read books, I talked to others, and read as many posts as I could here. It's the best decision I have made for myself. I'm working my way into nursing school and I knew I had to get this weight off to meet the demands of school and raising a family. Not to mention once I'm done standing and running around for 12 hours shifts. I would do it all again and again. It's been great. However, I know there can be complications and I made sure I knew what those were and educated myself before hand.

So, good luck to you in your journey! Keep us all posted!

I was 23 when I was banded last year. I wish I could have done it sooner :grouphug:

Definitely not too young. You are morbidly obese and you have tried multiple diets in the past. Why not do it now so you can be healthy for the rest of your 20s? I wish I had done it sooner myself instead of becoming increasingly overweight and increasingly miserable. Some doctors even band teenagers, depending on their weight and co-morbidities.

If your doctor is not receptive to the band and open to listening to your concerns (make sure you go in armed with lots of research!), find one who is. If you don't need a referral, then can you find a surgeon who will file your insurance and go from there? That's what I'd do. Good luck!

My doctor has banded children as young as 12. It all depends on the severity of the obesity. He says that it's hard to band children not because of the surgery itself, but rather that children are not mature enough to understand that they will not be able to eat anything, and everything they used to eat, and that can be very risky post-op when they are in recovery. I can tell you from my own experience that it's been hard for me to give up certain foods, like diet coke and bread, and I'm an adult, and I understand the risks. Imagine how hard it must be for children that still don't have the maturity to control themselves. The first time I ate a bit of bread and it got "stuck", I felt scared, and I thought I was just going to die, and I knew what was happening to me, because I had read about it and spoken to people it, but you are still not prepared for it until it happens to you. So, what I'm trying to say is that if you are mature enough to go without certain foods and if you have the commitment to change your lifestyle, then you are not too young. I hope that you get approved by your insurance soon; nobody should have to wait to get this done!!

I'm 21 and I'm getting banded on thursday. I dont see anything wrong with being banded young. I've tried every diet there is. It's time to enjoy being young!

I started looking into the band when I was 18.

I got banded 4 months after my 22nd birthday. You're definitely not too young... Good Luck!!!

Hey, guy--I was banded at 23 after my first year in medical school. I knew I would never make it through my clinical years with all the extra weight (let alone your shifts as a paramedic!), and I knew I wanted to be healthy for my husband and children. 23 is definitely not too young, if you're making the decision for yourself and for your health!

I am 25 and had the surgery in Feb. I wish I had the courage to have had the surgery at 23, or 21, or younger!! When I graduated college at 21, I was around 315. I kept thinking I could do it without surgery. At 380 a few years later, I caved and knew I HAD to have the surgery. You're not that far from diabetes, high blood pressure, bad joints. The things that didn't bother me then, just a few years later, bother me now.

Your definitely not to young. I will be having the surgery this summer and I am 20 years old. You should definitely try and attend some seminars and support groups . Good luck hun.

23 is not too young at all... I'll be 20 next month and was banded last December... And I don't regret it one bit!

I wish I had the surgery at 23 instead of 40. Sounds like you have tried other options - you must do what works for you...

I would have done it at 23 if I had the oppurtunity! However, I was banded at 32

I think if you need it, then you should get it no matter what age you are. My only thought is that for a female who may want to have kids in the future. Having kids is what started my spiral into obesity and after every kid I had, my body got worse and worse, and mixed with lifestyle and age, I was a mess. I can't imagine being 10 years younger and losing my excess weight and then wanting to go through it all over again every time I had another child.