It's true that you have to change your lifestyle or it will never work long-term. I know of someone who had it done, followed the diet for awhile, and lost a significant amount of weight. Unfortunatley, he just went back to his old habits and the weight came back.
Losing weight is a mindset. If you don't wrap your mind around it, nothing will work.

Teens have no business needing this surgery....they are young they should put in the effort to do it on their own. The thing is it is the lazy way out, if you don't actually work for something then you don't gain the appreciation from the effort & then you will revert back to what you were doing to cause the weight gain in the first place. It is not a cure, it requires a major lifestyle change, if the change doesn't happen, the weight comes back on....then what?

no VVB but, if has not happened to you its happened to a friend and so on. If ppl want to spend money to have this done let them. I wish I could afford it and would love to have it done but 17 grand, for gastric is out of range and 15 grand for lap band is also out of my range. I rather walk the trail. I hope you do understand some people do it for health issures and if insurance companies want to pay for it so be it.

I guess a "pro" would be a person could always make a pair of boots out of all the baggy skin. ;)

tipsy, did I hit too close to home?

VVB, my gosh you need to get a grip.

Nothing is a quick fix. Lifestyle change is necessary for any successful weight loss be it via surgery or the old fashioned way. Everyone wants a quick fix these days. I see little reason for a child/young adult to have gastric bypass or lapband, they are young & should be able to lose weight on their own with willpower & lifestyle change. I don't think having surgery is doing them any favors as they are taking away from their ability to do anything themselves. It is the lazy way out therefore will not be successful long term.

I have had 3 people in my family that got gastric by-pass surgery, the surgery has given them a new life. My niece had the surgery at 17, a cousin had the surgery at 40, and a aunt at 59. The problem they encounter afterwards has been loose skin and getting the funds to pay for the removal.
I will be looking forward to reading your story.

Can't help you as far as having it done personally but I have a bro-in-law that had the lapband (I think that is what it's called) done about 1-1/2yrs ago. Initially he had to go on a diet before the surgery and he lost about 20lbs. My question is "If he can lose the weight like that why go through the surgery??"
Funny thing is once he had the surgery it looked like he gained the 20lbs back in a couple of months!!

What I understand about these procedures is after the surgery you can't just eat what you want, you still have to watch closely what and how much you consume from now on.

I did see him a couple of weeks ago for the first time in about 6 months and he did drop a lot of weight off. Maybe he's doing it right now.