Keep Your Scalpels Off Our Children, Harvard!

FOSTER CITY, Calif. - March 28, 2018 - PRLog -- NAAFA, a civil rights organization working to end discrimination against people of large body size, is horrified to learn that Harvard University researchers claim operations like gastric bypass are "underutilized" and called for more children to undergo the surgeries in order to keep them from a lifetime of severe obesity. NAAFA has been fighting against this push to surgically alter the internal organs of growing children since 2002.

"Depriving growing children of adequate nourishment has been shown to stunt growth in height, even in those children who are quite heavy," stated Joanne P. Ikeda, Nutritionist Emeritus, UC Berkeley. "It makes much more sense to identify these children at an early age and support their families so they can eat nutritious food and have fun playing actively.  It is important to remember that some children are naturally bigger than their peers and they don't need surgery in an attempt to make their bodies more socially acceptable."

Growing up is hard enough sometimes, much less growing up as a fat kid. But can you imagine going to school, afraid that you might throw up after school lunch because that's a potential side effect of the WLS you had? Or worse yet, imagine having to take extra clothes to school in case the food does manage to stay in your body but comes out in a rush in the form of diarrhea.

Well documented, potentially fatal, complications of gastric bypass include: surgical complications such as hernia, pulmonary embolism, and wound infection, specific complications of the operation including persistent nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, intestinal obstruction, anemia and other nutritional deficiency diseases, ulcers, leaks in the digestive tract, along with the possibility of revision surgeries.  The long-term risks include osteoporosis, pernicious anemia and stomach cancer.  A San Francisco bariatric surgery website lists 50 distinct potential side-effects and complications… FIFTY!!

"Gastric bypass operations interfere with the body's ability to absorb many important nutrients," said Paul Ernsberger, Ph.D., an associate professor of nutrition from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. "Years after the operation, adults having this surgery develop anemia, bone loss, nerve damage, and other nutritional diseases. Also, the weight loss peaks after two years and then fat is gradually put back on as the stomach regrows. Many NAAFA members have had gastric bypass and are as heavy but not as healthy as when they first got the surgery. Depriving growing bodies of vital nutrients is not good medical practice."

Ikeda agrees with Ernsberger. "These side effects are particularly distressing in relation to children," said Ikeda. "Malabsorption of certain key nutrients after weight loss surgery is well documented.  When children undergo this procedure before their bodies are fully developed, very serious problems can occur."

Complications and side-effects of gastric sleeve and banding include (besides surgical complications): onset of dumping syndrome with associated diarrhea, vomiting or nausea, hernias, gallstones, bowel obstruction, splenic infarct, hypoglycemia, stomach perforation, malnutrition, ulcers, Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD), band problems, blood clots, esophageal dilation, food trapping, GERD, pneumonia, port problems, pouch dilation, potential re-surgeries and weight re-gain. Yet Harvard University researchers want us to do this to children!

NAAFA supports Health At Every Size® (HAES®) tenets and is very proud to offer a resource on our website. The Everybody in Schools Curriculum Unit Resource Kit is based on HAES, teaches valuing body size diversity, fostering self-esteem and resilience, healthy and pleasurable eating and active living. You can find it at https://www.naafaonline.com/dev2/education/haesschool.html

Founded in 1969, NAAFA is a non-profit civil rights organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for fat people. NAAFA works to eliminate discrimination based on body size and provide fat people with the tools for self-empowerment through public education, advocacy, and member support.

On the web: http://www.naafa.org