Obese at 16: A Life in the Balance (2005)

At age 16, Brandon Bennett weighed 411 pounds and his body was a walking time bomb. Due to his morbid obesity, the Houston teenager suffered from a range of serious medical problems that threatened to greatly reduce his lifespan, including severe sleep apnea, high blood pressure and a risk of diabetes. After trying numerous diets with no success, Brandon decided to pursue having a gastric bypass operation to help him lose the excess weight. The surgery is rarely performed on teenagers because the risks are extremely high, so finding a surgeon to operate was a challenge. OBESE AT 16: A LIFE IN THE BALANCE follows Brandon for one year as he overcomes obstacles to get the surgery he desperately needs, undergoes the bypass operation and experiences post-operation lifestyle changes. Through a first person perspective, OBESE AT 16: A LIFE IN THE BALANCE raises awareness of the teenage obesity epidemic and the severe health problems that often result from obesity. The show raises the question of whether it's appropriate for a child under 18-years-old to undergo an incredibly risky and potentially fatal gastric bypass surgery.