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 ([email protected]) is a freshman intending to major in journalism.