I hate my body!

Question
I am 16 yrs old and a mother of two I am 5 ft tall and weigh 285lbs I am so tired of all this weight and I do have a enlarged heart and back problems Im sure if I was to loose weight that would help tremendous.Well here's the catch I have crappy insurance which is called medicade,that also means they dont like to pay for alot of things,do u think that considering my health and insurance that it would be possible for me to get the lapband?diets just dont ever work,please Help

Answer
Dear Barbara,

I think you are both brave and smart to be thinking about weight loss surgery at such a young age.  Especially since you have two young children and have not been successful with dieting, surgery may be a good choice for you.

Based on your health and weight, insurance - even Medicaid - would often cover surgery, however your age adds another problem.  Bariatric surgery in teens is not an approved procedure and often requires either paying cash, or waiting until you are 18.  But there may be some other choices.

1) There are several center in the US that are doing suregry on teens as part of their research.  If you live near one, they may be able to take you as a patient.  If you write back and tell me where you are located, I can try to refer you.

2) Talk to your primary care doctor.  The first step in this process will involve a medical evaluation, and probably a referral no matter what you do - and your doctor may be shoe to help you.

3) See if there is a bariatric surgery Center of Excellence near you.  You can find this by going on line to www.surgicalreview.org. Call the program, and see if you can attend an informational seminar. Most good program have insurance specialists who can help you work with your insurance.  You may also be able to arrange a consult with the surgeon to get more information about qualifying.

4) The Obesity Action Coalition (www.obesityaction.org) has great free resources for talking to your doctor, understanding surgery, and working with your insurer.  These are free.

Whatever you do, don't give up.  Your age creates a hurdle for you, but because of your
Let me also say: don't give up hope. Because of your health, you should be able to find a way to access an effective treatment like surgery.

If I can provide you with any additional information, please let me know.

In Health,

Dr Jacques

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