• I want to be able to run. I haven’t been able to run since I was 5 years old. … I just want to be normal.
• 14-year-old Maria Caprigno • Regarding her decision to go under the knife for purposes of losing weight. Caprigno, who weighs over 400 pounds even after losing 45, says that many of her weight problems come from a mix of genes (her parents are also overweight), couch potato status, and overeating. But the gastrectomy surgery she got, which involved removing much of her stomach, is often used on people three times her age (or older). Her doctor, though, claims holding back the surgery would have been unethical. “Her BMI [body mass index], which is a measurement we use to determine how obese someone is, put her in the highest risk category,” said Dr. Evan Nadler. “Not just morbidly obese, but two categories higher than that.” Holy crap. We’re glad she got help. source

Posted by Ernie Smith • Permalink