Operation too far

It says much about what is wrong with society that children can balloon to this weight. Meanwhile, the willingness of Sheffield Children's Hospital to do the procedures on the morbidly obese youngsters sets a discomforting precedent.

No child should be allowed to reach 18 stone. The parents, or

guardians, of the 14-year-olds in question must explain to the authorities why the boys were able to put on so much weight. Bullies no doubt found them an easy target but the boys' lives must have been miserable. Serious medical issues, a lack of confidence and a

difficulty in interacting with other youngsters are just three of the problems they surely faced.

Whatever the background, the simple fact is that this procedure should not have happened. When Britain faces a huge public spending deficit, it is an unjustifiable use of taxpayers' money.

The greatest problem with such surgery, however, is the risk. There have to be compelling reasons for putting children under the knife. Has it been made here? When the patients are so young, it is vital to

exhaust all the other options before operating. Diet pills, exercise and lifestyle changes all have to be tried to help the obese to change.

Sadly, these boys are not the only grossly overweight children in Britain. That's why Ministers must never let up in their healthy eating campaign – and why they should act to stop these operations happening again.