Texas 12-Year-Old with 'Hypothalamic Obesity' to Receive Gastric Bypass Surgery

Approximately 12.5 million children aged 2-19 in the United States are considered obese or overweight. Yet few of them are as overweight as Alexis Shapiro, who will be receiving gastric bypass surgery because of her hypothalamic obesity condition.

Back in 2011, Alexis Shapiro underwent surgery to remove a benign brain tumor that was damaging her pituitary gland and hypothalamus brain region, which perceives signals from the digestive system. Ever since the tumor was removed, Alexis has possessed an insatiable hunger.

Hypothalamic obesity is an "intractable form of obesity, initially described in patients with hypothalamic tumors or surgical damage," it is characterized by a constant hunger that cannot be satisfied no matter how much food is consumed. This condition has affected Alexis for the past two and a half years. More information about hypothalamic obesity can be found on the National Center for Biotechnology Information website.

Before her surgery to remove the brain tumor, Alexis was just 51 pounds. Now, at the age of 12, she weighs over 200 pounds and stands at 4-feet-7-inches. Not only has her hunger been affected by this condition, but she also possesses a very low energy level, which is another characteristic of the rare form of obesity.

She will soon undergo gastric bypass surgery to help her lose weight through changing how much her stomach and small intestine will handle the food she consumes. This surgery will make her stomach smaller and satisfy her appetite with less food. In addition to the bypass surgery, Alexis will have part of her vagus nerve removed. It's the longest cranial nerve that extends all the way to the abdomen, and it is believed to contribute to the transmission of signals that trigger hunger.

Alexis' mother and father, Ian and Jenny, hope that she can live a "normal" life after the surgery. To read more about Alexis Shapiro's rare condition, visit this ABC News article as well as this NY Daily News article.