Rotherham expert backs gastric ops for teenagers: VOTE

Sheffield Children's Hospital is planning to fit gastric balloons to ten youngsters aged between 13 and 18 as part of a clinical trial.

The bands discourage overeating by inflating in the stomach to give the feeling of being full.

The teenagers will also be given healthy lifestyle advice.

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Dr Capehorn, clinical manager of Rotherham Institute for Obesity, said he was not against the idea in principle, although NHS Rotherham's current policy was to send overweight children to fitness camps.

He said: “The research may find that this is the best and most cost-effective way of managing obesity and if a child has tried everything else and this step is recommended by their doctor as the best option then it should be available.

“I favour this research going ahead.”

Sheffield Children’s Hospital said that the procedure had been found to be effective for adults but very few studies had been carried out on young people.

IT'S APPALLING . . . why the Rotherham mother of an overweight youngster opposes the plans. See this week's Advertiser.