http://www.treesandthings.com/story/2006/12/5/162358/473 Brooke Bates of Pflugerville, Texas had weight issues. She weighed 180 pounds by age 11 and had ballooned to 220 pounds a year later.  She tried her darnedest to lose the weight: low carb diets, Weight Watchers, and Richard Simmons Deal-A-Meal, to name a few - all without success.  Then she found a weight program that worked, that removed pounds, and made her "about as happy as a little girl can be" in the words of her father, Joey Bates.  But, if Brooke and her father and mother are happy wi en-us Sat, 9 Dec 2006 11:41:51 EST Wed, 13 Dec 2006 23:28:04 EST http://www.treesandthings.com/story/2006/12/5/162358/473#10 But at least gastric bypass limits the amount of food one can eat. Wed, 13 Dec 2006 23:28:04 EST http://www.treesandthings.com/story/2006/12/5/162358/473#9 I wouldn't say this was a case of entirely treating the symptom.  A friend of mine who had gastric bypass surgery told me that she was a lot more active lifestyle after she lost several pounds.  As she put it, "Wouldn't you feel more energetic if Wed, 13 Dec 2006 18:55:26 EST http://www.treesandthings.com/story/2006/12/5/162358/473#8 You mean if heard about a kid who had one of those body morphic disorders and wanted to remove an leg to become an amputee & the parents agreed you'd think that was spiffy?  It seems to me that allowing a child who is still developing to have a ma Sun, 10 Dec 2006 19:46:50 EST http://www.treesandthings.com/story/2006/12/5/162358/473#7 <i>The latest data indicates that liposuction doesn't have the positive effects on health that other methods of weight loss have...</i><p> To say nothing of the fact that liposuction is not intended as a weight-loss remedy. It is primarily used to sculpt, Sun, 10 Dec 2006 13:33:09 EST http://www.treesandthings.com/story/2006/12/5/162358/473#6 #1.  Note, I said <b>those libertarians</b>.  Are you trying to tell me the guys who claim "<a href="http://www.theadvocates.org/library/issues-taxes.html">the income tax is particularly evil</a>" aren't expressing the philosophy that the governm Sun, 10 Dec 2006 13:00:22 EST http://www.treesandthings.com/story/2006/12/5/162358/473#5 <i><br> Heh, sort of like those Libertarians whose essential ideology is "the government is stealing my money, therefore you should believe so too."</i><p> Libertarian ideology is nothing of the kind but if you feel the need to write such throwaway comment Sun, 10 Dec 2006 12:22:35 EST http://www.treesandthings.com/story/2006/12/5/162358/473#4 <i>All systems go -- mind your own freakin business.</i><p> Ah, but when unconventional plastic surgical procedures are performed on the very young, it sort of invites questions.  Especially when it seems the problem could be addressed with less radic Sun, 10 Dec 2006 07:27:21 EST http://www.treesandthings.com/story/2006/12/5/162358/473#3 The latest data indicates that liposuction doesn't have the positive effects on health that other methods of weight loss have, so claiming he did it for her high blood pressure doesn't quite cut it.<p> It could be that once the weight is gone, Brooke will Sun, 10 Dec 2006 02:15:03 EST http://www.treesandthings.com/story/2006/12/5/162358/473#2 I'm sure the people at bigfatblog would loathe you, too, if they had the unfortunate experience of encountering you.  The difference is, they would have a good reason. Sun, 10 Dec 2006 02:08:36 EST http://www.treesandthings.com/story/2006/12/5/162358/473#1 Parents ok with the surgery? Check.<br> Kid ok with the surgery? Check.<br> Doctor ok with the surgery? Check.<p> All systems go -- mind your own freakin business. I especially loathe the "fat acceptance community" over at bigfatblog  whose essentiall Sat, 9 Dec 2006 13:00:08 EST string http://www.treesandthings.com/search/