Drastic Measures

Kendall's addiction transfer is a major problem—one Dr. Oz says is a reason children should consider waiting until they are adults to have weightloss surgery. "The biggest concern I have with operating on kids—and I hate to say it, but since you're not legal adults yet, that's the best term to use for you—is that you're still evolving your own coping mechanisms," he says. To help avoid a problem like Kendall's, Dr. Oz says it is absolutely essential for a program to include a great deal of follow-up to help the children deal with the emotional issues they're facing.

"We still don't know what issues will occur emotionally as kids have decisions made [for them] by moms who care about them. All the moms who are doing this, you took a lot of effort. I can tell how much pain there was for you just to have to go through this process. I know that," Dr. Oz says. "But [at] age 13, it's a big decision to make and a penalty you may pay for the rest of your life because none of these operations are without risk. Anything that's strong enough to help you is strong enough to hurt you also."