Wow

Researchers study benefits, risks of teen weight-loss surgery

CINCINNATI, Ohio (AP) -- Seventeen-year-old Amanda Munson gained confidence and energy as she lost 40 of her 296 pounds after weight-loss surgery and her diabetes went into remission.

"People have told me I not only look thinner, but I seem to glow -- maybe because I'm so much happier," she said. The 5-foot-5 high school senior from nearby Burlington, Kentucky, hopes to lose 75 to 100 more pounds.

Munson is the first of 200 teenagers who will be enrolled in a five-year, federally funded study on the benefits and risks of bariatric surgery on adolescents....

Recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest that about 2 million U.S. adolescents may be severely obese and have complications of obesity previously seen only in adults.

While adult weight-loss surgery still is more common, an estimated 2,744 youngsters nationwide had the operations from 1996 through 2003, with the pace tripling between 2000 and 2003, according to an earlier study co-written by Inge.

The doctors expect their research will show that severe obesity in teens is associated with medical and psychosocial problems which may be more effectively treated during adolescence than waiting until adulthood.

"What's fascinating is that teenagers already can have a half-dozen complications of obesity that the surgery within months _ if not weeks -- can remedy," he said Inge, who has been performing the surgery on adolescents for five years.

We were just kinda wondering about this the other day, whether they had tried bariatric surgery in kids. It seems a bit extreme, after all, you're still growing at that age, and the procedure interferes with your ability to absorb nutrients. On the other hand, it sounds like the little girl was already suffering from Type II diabetes, and that's some nasty shit. Hmmm.

Also reading this much less troubling article about kids playing DDR in PE class.

As for Mr. Tikistitch's world famous Run Your Ass Off Diet, it's week 15, and we're down 35 pounds. (Though, we were bad this weekend and ate too much bruschetta, plus 1/2 bottle of that neat fizzy Shiraz the waitress talked us into trying.) Funny thing is, we're down to approximately the same weight we were throughout much of high school, when tiki's Mom famously spent a lot of her sadly limited supply of mental energy fretting over tiki's embarrassing fatness. We now think our mom badly needed a hobby.

We write letters....

Dear Mr. Running Store Dude,

tiki is immeasurably sorry for the vexations she recently caused you by requesting that you ring up her purchase of one pair of men's running tights, when this task was so clearly demeaning to you as a person as well as less compelling than standing around chatting about running shoe design with your buddies.

As we have promised to never, ever again cause you irritation by entering your store, you will alas not then learn that our husband, the remarkable Mr. Tikistitch, has completed 20 marathons, and as such, quite possibly has more running expertise than all your customers and store staff, including yourself, combined. Mr. Tiki's favored running shoes? Whatever's currently on sale at Big 5.

XOXOXOXO

--tiki

P.S. Did I forget to mention we live only 6 blocks from your shop? And have a lot of disposable income to throw around on such high margin goods as socks and tights and, yes, running shoes? Which we will now all spend elsewhere rather than darken your doorstep?

Coffee?

One of our fave Stitchie items this month.

( coffee coffee coffee )