OPINION & EDITORIAL
Short-term gain, long-term pain
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Also by Gabbie Wade:
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- Short-term gain, long-term pain (March 28, 2007)
- Americans ignore strife for sideshow (February 23, 2007)
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- Innocence Project uncovers major flaws in American legal system (January 26, 2007)
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by Gabbie Wade
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Despite growing knowledge regarding health and nutrition, approximately 30.4 percent of adolescents, ages 12 to 19, are overweight in the United States, and 15.5 percent are obese. Many adverse health effects have been associated with obesity, such as asthma, diabetes II, hypertension and heart disease, but how far are people willing to go to reduce the risks of such health complications?
Dr. Fuad Ziai, a pediatric endocrinologist in Illinois, admits in a CNN report to using an unconventional approach to treating obesity in his patients. He has prescribed Adderall, a drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, to approximately 800 obese children and teens. Ziai claims that about 90 percent of these individuals have lost weight.
It is technically legal for doctors to prescribe medications for uses other than those approved by the FDA, but there are no real tests proving that medications will work when recommended in this fashion.
Although Adderall has never been studied for weight loss, it was studied for possible side effects while being approved by the FDA. Adderall was found to be associated with some extremely serious health issues. People are warned not to take this medication if they have heart disease, hypertension, severe anxiety or a history of drug or alcohol addiction. Adderall has led to stunted growth in children, psychological disorders such as depression, addiction and, in the most severe cases, sudden death in children and adolescents with heart problems. Obese children and adolescents tend to have higher blood pressure and heart complications, both of which increase the likelihood for serious side effects.
With such a long list of possible serious side effects, why would any doctor want to prescribe this drug unless absolutely necessary?
Other disturbing research shows that, instead of taking drugs, more children are turning to surgery to treat their obesity. Statistics show that there could be more than 1,000 gastric bypass operations on obese teens in this coming year. Although the side effects of surgery seem to be less severe in children than they are in adults, gastric bypass is still major surgery with many possible complications. The youngest patients receiving the surgery in 2003 were 12 years old.
Doctors should focus their energy on working with obese children and adolescents rather than attempting to give them a quick fix, especially one associated with severe complications. It may seem like a great idea to a kid struggling with obesity to simply receive a drug or get surgery to make him or her thin, but a doctor should be more concerned with helping the child lose weight in a less risky manner.
Even if Adderall and surgery do help children and adolescents lose weight and, in doing so, help them avert obesity-related problems such as diabetes, how do these methods help in the long run?
Negative side effects associated with Adderall, such as addiction and heart complications, increase over time, so the drug should not be used for a patient's entire life. However, gastric bypass surgery has been linked to poor nutrition because patients' stomachs are often less able to absorb nutrients from foods after surgery.
Instead of offering kids quick, but also potentially very dangerous, ways to lose weight, doctors should make every effort to help obese kids lose weight by teaching them to change their lifestyles to increase their well-being through adulthood. Yes, obesity is associated with many health risks, but so are Adderall and gastric bypass surgery. If we do not teach kids to live healthier lifestyles without drugs or surgeries, obesity will continue to be a problem in future generations. Doctors should be giving kids the tools they need to make themselves healthier without putting them at any additional health risks.
Gabbie Wade (gwade@wisc.edu) is a freshman intending to major in journalism.
Anonymous (March 28, 2007 @ 2:36am):
This one time when I was living in New York City, I went on this Adderall binge. It was awesome at first, I cleaned my apartment a lot and my son came to visit. I was totally gonna be on this game show wearing this awesome red dress, but then my fridge kept attacking me and I ended up getting electroshock therapy. Then my son got his arm cut off. Shit's all fucked up now :-(
Anonymous (March 28, 2007 @ 7:21am):
@ 2:36am,
Very lame attempt. Look, I like sarcasm, but in the future you are going to have to research the side effects of adderall before posting something so stupid. Wait, I take that back. Don't do anything else. Don't post anything else today. Come back when you have something worth reading.
In short, leave absurdity and sarcasm to the people who have a better understanding of it.
For the record, this is a well written article
Anonymous (March 28, 2007 @ 7:55am):
See, this goes back to the OpEd article about the "mean" shout-outs earlier this week.
People are fat now, because it is not acceptable to point your finger at someone and yell, "keep stair climbing thunder thighs!"
I think thin people should receive special treatment for their personal a social effort in the fight against obesity.
Get thin, or the terrorists win.
Anonymous (March 28, 2007 @ 9:33am):
@7:21am
Apparently you have never seen requium for a dream...
If you have, you need a sense of humor.
Anonymous (March 28, 2007 @ 11:41am):
I have seen requiem for a dream and you are no requiem for a dream
Anonymous (March 28, 2007 @ 12:28pm):
Ask your advisor to teach you how to do research. If you really think weight loss surgery is a quick and easy fix then you obviously know nothing about it. Don't be another lazy moronic journalist...go out and actually learn something about what you're writing about.
Anonymous (March 28, 2007 @ 5:03pm):
Ms. Wades' editorials are vicarious for me. They are like the loving mother I never had. Her editorials issue advice like "Don't be a fool -- wrap your tool" (Nov 29th, 2006), and now, more profound statements like "Doctors should be giving kids the tools they need to make themselves healthier."
Unfortunately, her arguments are inconsistent week to week. Last week she argues that the HPV vaccine should be forced into all girls' veins despite the adverse side-effects, because "If we can prevent millions of deaths each year...we absolutely should."
Now, these week, she's saying don't automatically take a drug when it might cause unintended problems -- try the lifestyle change first.
But, overall, Ms. Wades' maternal instincts are second to none.
Anonymous (March 29, 2007 @ 9:08pm):
"Quick Fix" when it comes to weight loss surgery is not an appropriate term. In fact, it is insulting and flippant. Weight loss surgery is truly a "last chance" for a normal, relatively healthy life for many people.
It only applie to people who have lived their lives as morbidly obese people, which is the worst way to live in this society. Obese people lose and gain, lose and gain and always seem to gain more than they lost. It is much like a bipolar lives --- A major high and feeling good about yourself when you are successful, then when you start to gain the weight back you are depressed, feel unworthy and hopeless. Morbidly obese people often experience serious depression, anxiety and socioeconomic problems as well as the obvious health risks like diabetes, heart problems etc. That life is humiliating, filled with discrimination against you and many of us live as outcasts.
The surgery seems to be a panacea, but it is more humiliating and difficult to get through than anyone could imagine.
First, you must meet the criteria of your surgeon's office to even get in the door. Next you must have a psych eval and your primary care's doctor's recommendation. Without being at least 100 lbs overweight it is doubtful that you will even be considered. Then there are the tests, the nutrition classes and the seminars and support groups you must attend before you can even apply for precertification from most insurance companies.
If you can get past the insurance company there is usually a 2-6 month wait before you can be scheduled for surgery. Surgery is painful, dangerous and very specialized.
Keep in mind that many insurance companies do not cover ANY weight loss treatment even if you weigh 600lbs and you are facing imminent death from health complications. Others put barracades up, like requiring so much paperwork, diet and exercise records that it is nearly impossible to comply. Almost all that cover the surgery require a 6 - 24 month conventional diet and exercise program supervised by a physician, dietitian and sometimes and exercise consultant (keep in mind that this requirement is rarely paid for by the insurance company).
Well before surgery the surgeon meets with you and your family to go through all of the risks, potential complications and the possibility of death (which is rare). The surgery is painful, is followed by several months of pain and the inability to eat solid foods for many months. After surgery your stomach holds about 3 ounces of food. You must drink a gallon of water a day, spoonful by spoonful. Post-op you will have to take vitamin supplements for life.
Anyone who has been through the surgery will tell you that it is only a tool for weight loss. You must commit to never smoke, drink carbonated beverages or heavy sweets again, and for the first year, just about everything is out. If you do not follow the instructions perfectly you risk a leak or ripping the staples.
This is a lifelong commitment to very hard work. People who can get through the surgery and make it work are very strong people who have spent more time, effort and pain just trying to live a normal life than most people spend on their careers.
The term "quick fix" is an insult to anyone who has been through this an misleading to anyone considering it. This "reporter" needs to do some background work into the issue before flippantly disregarding millions of amazing people.
To read more about the ins and outs of weight loss surgery, visit obesityhelp.com or obesityaction.org.
Jennifer S
St. Charles, MO
Anonymous (November 28, 2007 @ 2:12pm):
I am a senior nutrition major. Although, I do not know everything I do attend one of the top nutrition schools in the nation. I have learned that being overweight/obese leads to severe health problems; short term and long term. I would never advise anyone to take adderall to lose weight, I would however advise the individual that losing weight should be a top priority. Americans have developed a lazy lifestyle and it shows significantly... I guess I am saying I could understand why a doctor would prescribe the drug to lose weight... He understands what ultimately can come from being overweight/obese and has decided that the pro's outweigh the con's in this case. Have some respect for a doctor who recognizes an epidemic and is trying to treat lazy ass America... Honestly, what else is going to work? Americans don't want to excercise and they want to eat McDonalds; How else can you get this group to lose weight? I can say that McDonalds/fast food/take out are just as bad for you as adderall (if not worse).. I guess it is a choice you would have to make. Die skinny from a heart attack or die fat from a heart attack or cancer or 1 million of the other things that eating bad causes!
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