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Weighed down
FIRST IN A THREE-PART SERIES

FELIX ADAMO / THE CALIFORNIAN

Brooke Stanley

SCHOOL SAFETY

Five arrested after BHS ght

Some 30 Bakerseld police ofcers responded to a ght that got out of hand at Bakerseld High School Friday afternoon. Five students were arrested, including a 16-year-old boy who was tasered after he hit one of the ofcers in the face. School ofcials say there is no indication the disturbance was gang related or racially motivated. Page B1

Putting faces to a growing U.S. problem

hough obesity is a national crisis, its hard to tell this story through numbers alone. The Californian sought out local families to look at obesity through their eyes. We followed four families over several months to get a better understanding of their lives and the difculties in achieving a healthy lifestyle.

WINTER STORMS

I-5 open, but snow may return soon

JOHN HARTE / THE CALIFORNIAN

In most respects, Brooke Stanley is a typical teenage girl. But her weight she is clinically obese has resulted in some heartbreaking and embarrassing moments for her.

Ten-year-old Ashley Cedeo, like many in the

Hispanic community is overweight . Her mother wanted to help but didnt know what to do.

Fourteen-year-old Ashlyn Dowling is not obese,

but her idea of t includes habits that could become eating disorders.

Sixteen-year-old Michael White Jr.s weight was killing him. His family decided to take a drastic and controversial step bariatric surgery. Fifteen-year-old Brooke Stanleys family is on the
cusp of a decision. Shes heavy, obese by adult standards, and wants surgery. But shes so young, and what about when she decides to have children?

I shouldnt be eating the way I do. And I just want to stop all the time.
BY EMILY HAGEDORN
Californian staff writer e-mail: ehagedorn@bakerseld.com

A 40-mile stretch of Interstate 5 over Tejon Pass reopened Friday after a two-day closure that stranded hundreds of drivers on the major artery, but authorities warned that the road could be quickly closed again if wintry conditions return. Page B8

INSIDE
Rescue workers and utility crews are struggling to keep up with the mayhem caused by nearly a week of heavy snowfall and extraordinary rain, Page A7

COMING SUNDAY
Brooke Stanley decides she must act to get her weight under control, but family problems could hold her back. Ashlyn Dowling works to avoid her familys weight-related health problems. How are Kern schools dealing with obesity?
ASHLYN DOWLING

he Xcelerator ride at Knotts Berry Farm promises 62 seconds of stomachdropping excitement.

Readers share their personal weight loss stories.

AND ON MONDAY
Brooke Stanley is eager to start her future. Ashley Cedeos family struggles with a healthy lifestyle.

Afterward, 15-year-old Brooke Stanley and her friends would be off to the next attraction. Supreme Scream perhaps. Or Boomerang. Instead, everything stops. Please stop. Just stop, Brooke shouts at the ride operator as he tries to fasten the belt for her. Im going to get off the ride. Im not going to get on, OK? Yeah, you need to get off, he says. Youre too big for this ride. Brookes heart thumps in her chest in last summers heat. Her sunburn tingles. The seat belt strap digs into her lap. In her mind, everything stops as one of her most embarrassing moments sinks in. Park employees usually need to help get the seat belts and safety harnesses fastened over her 268-pound body.

EPISCOPAL BREAKUP

MORE INSIDE
DRAMATIC PHOTOS: A 480-pound teen tries bariatric surgery, A4 THE FACTS: Obesity has grown to epidemic proportions, A5

Local reverend to become S.C. bishop

After a controversial false start, Bakerselds Very Rev. Mark Lawrence is scheduled to be consecrated today as the 14th bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina. Page H1

But too big for a ride thats never happened before. She nds some shadows nearby and cries. Why was that guy so mean? Why is it so hard to change? Why should I change? Please turn to BROOKE / A5

INSIDE
A visiting leader to the remnant of Episcopalian believers in Bakerseld says the San Joaquin Dioceses recent secession is illegal, Page B1

INDEX
Annies Mailbox .G4 Bridge . . . . . . . . .G4 Classieds . . . . . .F1 Comics . . . . . . . . .G4 Crossword . . .F3, G4 Eye Street . . . . . . .G1 Faith . . . . . . . . . . .H1 Funerals . . . . . . . .B2 Horoscope . . . . . .G5 Local news . . . . . .B1 Money . . . . . . . . . .D1 Movies . . . . . . . . .G2 Opinion . . . . . . . . .B7 Sports . . . . . . . . . .C1 Sudoku . . . . . . . . .G4 Television . . . . . .G3

WEATHER

62 Low 47
High

COMING S U N DAY
Drug, alcohol and gun powdersnifng dogs arent new in some area schools, and now the Kern High School District is exploring the idea of hiring a K-9 detection company. Learn more about how the dogs work in Sundays Californian.

Air quality: Good, 27 Complete weather, B8

CALL US
Subscriber services: 392-5777 or 1-800-953-5353 To report a news tip: 395-7384 or 1-800-540-0646

Even more on Bakerseld.com

Read expanded versions of these stories, hear exclusive interviews and watch special slideshows on the Web at Bakerseld.com/weigheddown

SATURDAY, JANUARY 26, 2008

THE BAKERSFIELD CALIFORNIAN A5

OBESITY FACTS
What is obesity?
An adult with a body mass index of 30 or higher is considered obese. Children have to be in the 95th percentile for their weight compared with their peers to be classied as obese, which is rare.

Weighed Down
Whenever Im told what I can and cant eat, Im just embarrassed, and I get mad. And then Im like, OK, Brooke, calm down.
Brooke Stanley
FIRST IN A THREE PART SERIES

What causes obesity?

Prolonged periods of eating too many calories and not getting enough exercise, coupled with genes, metabolism, environment, culture and socioeconomic status.

BROOKE: Teen tends to put on weight during summer

Continued from A1 Brooke, a vivacious girl with a smile that spans her whole face, isnt normally ashamed of her weight. She will quickly tell you that she is beautiful, especially her glowing blue eyes. But at odds with her self-esteem is the fact that she is obese. At 5 feet 6 inches tall, Brooke is almost twice her ideal weight. She is off the chart for her body mass index. A girl her age and height should have a BMI of 16.5 to 24, meaning she should be 103 to 151 pounds. Brookes BMI is 43.3, and the chart only goes to 37. Her back hurts. Her ankles hurt. And it often takes her 20 minutes to catch her breath in gym class. She believes she would feel better if she dropped weight. Maybe shed be more popular at school. But if Brookes already happy with herself, is it even worth it? At 9 pounds 9 ounces, Brooke was born a very cute, chubby baby, as she puts it. Her mother was also on the heavier side when she had Brooke. When I was pregnant with her was the rst time I broke the 200-pound threshold, and I cried, said 37-year-old Robin Stanley. Her mother can only guess at the cause of Brookes weight. Could it be that she formula-fed Brooke? Breast-fed babies have been shown to grow up leaner and handle hunger better. Brooke cried all the time, she said. And I would put a bottle in her mouth every time she cried. Or maybe its genetic? Her two younger siblings, 9-year-old twins Chelsea and Chase, are twigs. Chase, with freckles and short, white-blond hair, is always in a different place one moment to the next. Same goes for Chelsea, who has her big sisters strawberry blond hair and wide smile. Her 18-year-old half-brother, Jakob Holtschulte, is brawny but by no means overweight. Why am I like this when theyre all like this? Brooke says, holding up her pinkie nger. Im eating about as much as anyone else in my family does, and my whole family is these skinny BROOKE little minis. STANLEY Her father, Christopher, is the stockiest Age: 15 of all at 6-foot-4 and Grade: 290 pounds. Technisophomore at cally, this is considLiberty High ered obese, but hes School also very muscular, Height: which can skew the 5 feet results. 6 inches Robin, who is 5foot-5 and 125 Weight: pounds, went as Bay268 pounds watch star Pamela Ideal weight Anderson to a Halfor her loween party this height and year. She is rail-thin. age: 103-151 But she wasnt pounds always this way. Body mass Six years ago, index: 43.3 Robin underwent gastric bypass surgery. Healthy Surgeons cut off 80 body mass percent to 90 percent index for her of her stomach and height and rerouted her small age: between intestine to the pouch 16.5 and 24 that was left. She was 267 pounds at her heaviest. So Brooke has surpassed what I was, Robin says. Brooke wonders if surgery is in her future, too. I understand that you have to be healthy, but Im happy. Im so happy, she says. Whose fault is it? Is it the persons fault? Is it the companys fault? Its both of their faults. Its everyones fault. Brooke and some friends sit on her bed with plates of roast beef, macaroni and rolls during Jakobs graduation party in early June. Guests include two great-aunts and one great-uncle, who have undergone bariatric weight-loss surgery. If Brooke went under the knife, she would extend the legacy to three generations. When women are pregnant they are not supposed to have a lot of caffeine, says family friend Kayli Hoffman, 16. Caffeine is a drug. Im sure you can do without a soda for nine months, Brooke says, sipping a Diet

How prevalent is it?

Almost 70 percent of Kern men and 48.3 percent of Kern County women are considered overweight to obese, for a countywide average of 58.7 percent.

Who is most prone?

Kerns Latinos had the highest rate of overweight and obesity at 65.5 percent, followed by whites with 57.6 percent and blacks at 44.3 percent.

What can obesity do to you?

A lifetime of obesity can affect every part of the body and lead to: Stroke Mental stress and depression Excess body and facial hair Cancer Chronic heartburn Heart disease High blood pressure and cholesterol Asthma, breathing problems Sleep apnea Type 2 diabetes Fatty liver disease Menstrual abnormalities Infertility Decline in libido Complications with pregnancy Incontinence Degeneration of cartilage and bone in joints Skin diseases
Sources: UCLA Center for Health Policy Research; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

JOHN HARTE / THE CALIFORNIAN

At her brothers graduation party in June, Brooke Stanley spent most of the time in her room with three friends, where they chatted and played music. Her friends are sisters Emily, left, and Kaylie Hoffman and Ellyse Silva, seated between them. Dr Pepper. KT Tunstall plays on the iPod hooked up to the stereo. You can see shes a beautiful girl. Shes a beautiful girl. Brooke ts in with this group. They love her, accept her. A couple of girls go to church with her. Brooke smiles constantly, showing the extent of her braces; her blue eyes are highlighted with green and gold eye shadow. Beneath the easy laughter, though, is something else. I need to make sure Im not going overboard. Other people are looking at what I eat. All around are remnants of a diminishing childhood and developing adulthood: Barbies and a growing supply of makeup. A long, purple dress, size 22, from Brookes eighth-grade winter gala hangs over the closet door. Brooke takes a couple of bites of the roast beef on her plate. Sunlight from an oppressively hot July day streams through the windows of Brookes kitchen. In the sanctuary of the air conditioning, she picks at some leftover spaghetti as an earlier conversation with her mother comes to mind. She said she was going to monitor my food, Brooke says. Robin wants Brooke to keep a journal of her meals, a task Brooke has tried before without much luck. Whenever Im told what I can and cant eat, Im just embarrassed, and I get mad. And then Im like, OK, Brooke, calm down. During summer, she doesnt normally eat much for breakfast after waking between 8 and 9 a.m. Lunch is leftovers and then snacking on sandwich or fruit snacks with most time in between in front of the 32-inch television or reading. Then Mom will make dinner, usually Italian or Mexican. Robin comes in, busily trying to get everyone ready for a weeklong trip to see family in Ridgecrest. She looked like she had been gaining weight, says Robin, who just returned from a mission to Zimbabwe with their church, Brimhall Road Assembly of God. Summertime is when Brooke puts on weight, sometimes 10-15 pounds. The high temps keep her from exercising outside. The family cant afford a gym membership. (Brooke once got a monthlong membership to 24 Hour Fitness and loved it.) Her street, near Rosedale Highway, doesnt have sidewalks, and she doesnt think the area is very safe. She sometimes walks with the twins to nearby Greenacres Park but not when walking feels like wading through dust and sweat. Also on her mind are her parents. They If Brooke stays this weight as an adult, arent acting like they usually do; her she has seven times the risk of having diafather, especially, is more distant. Robin resumes packing. Brooke nishes betes, six times the risk of hypertension, and three times the risk of asthma comher lunch, her face redder with each bite. Its hard for me to be too hard on her pared to healthy-weight adults, according to a study in the Journal of the American because I know how it feels, Robin says. Medical Association. Brooke still wants so much. Later that week, Brooke She wants to go with her and a family friend sit in mother on a mission trip. She front of the television in dreams of graduating from Ridgecrest. Vanguard University with This is the third day of degrees in education and theBrookes vacation. Time so ology. She wants to get marfar has been spent playing ried at Disneylands Sleeping pool, swimming and drinking Beauty Castle and have at Pepsi Freezes, a slushy treat least two kids. from the Drive Thru Dairy. It was really hard because The girls watch a rerun of her mom started crying, and the NBC show The Biggest her mom blamed herself, Loser. Brooke says between tears. Brooke sees herself in 16And that just kind of broke year-old contestant Emily my heart cause my mom Senti. might think that too, and I When I get made fun of I dont want my mom to ever usually walk away and take it Brooke Stanley think that because it wasnt as a joke, but it usually kills my moms fault. me, Emily Senti says on the show. Its my fault, and I shouldnt be eating Brooke likewise uses humor. Emily Senti has the same brightness as Brooke. Emily the way I do. And I just want to stop all the Senti peaked at 250 pounds, roughly 20 time. The weight that so far has just plagued pounds shy of Brookes weight. She found out that she started having her thoughts now feels like a noose around diabetes, Brooke says. When I heard that her neck. Brooke decides something must be done. it just really scared me because Im only 15. What if I get it? Brooke doesnt have diabetes or any seri- Next: ous complications yet. Brooke contemplates weight-loss surBut it was as if the episode was showing gery while her family faces divorce. Brooke her future.

HEART DISEASE
What is coronary heart disease?
A narrowing of the tiny blood vessels that supply oxygen to the heart.

What causes it?

Usually a condition called atherosclerosis, which occurs when fatty material and a substance called plaque build up on the walls of the arteries. Diabetes, high blood pressure, menopause, not getting enough physical activity, obesity and smoking increase risk.

What can it do to you?

As the arteries narrow, blood ow to the heart can slow down or stop, causing chest pain, shortness of breath or a heart attack.

Im eating about as much as anyone else in my family does, and my whole family is these skinny little minis.

How common is it?

In Kern County, roughly eight out of 1,000 residents were hospitalized for heart disease in 1997-1999. In California, 26 percent of all deaths were caused by heart disease in 1999. In the United States, heart disease is the leading cause of death for both women and men. Worldwide, heart disease kills more than 7 million people each year.
Sources: National Institutes of Health; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Bakerseld.com
Hear more from Brooke in her own words at Bakerseld.com/weigheddown

ABOUT BMI
What is it?
A measure of weight relative to height, used since 1998 by the National Institutes of Health to dene overweight and obesity.

Does it work?
In general, BMI closely correlates with total body fat for most individuals, but it has some limitations. It can overestimate body fat in people who are very muscular and underestimate body fat in people who have lost muscle mass, such as the elderly.

How is it calculated?
Divide your total weight in pounds by your height in inches squared and then multiply the result by 703. Or use the calculator at www.cdc.gov/ nccdphp/dnpa/bmi There is a separate calculator for adults and children.

JOHN HARTE / THE CALIFORNIAN

Brooke and her mom, Robin, spend lots of time talking at home. Here the discussion is the upcoming winter formal, which she will attend with some friends.

BARIATRIC SURGERY FACTS

How often is it done?
More than 700 patients have been treated at San Joaquin Community Hospitals Bariatric Solutions program in its eight-year history. There are a few other centers in Kern County that do these surgeries, but Bariatric Solutions is the largest. Nationwide, the number of surgeries in adolescents rose from 222 in 2000 to 771 in 2003.

Does it work for kids?

The CDC does not ofcially use the term obese to describe the BMI of children and teens, but there is some push to change that. When discussing childhood obesity, most people are usually referring to children and teens above the 95th percentile.
Sources: The Surgeon Generals Call to Action to Prevent and Decrease Overweight and Obesity 2001; The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

What is the mortality rate?

Less than 1 percent of people die in the hospital after the surgery.

Who should have it?

People with obesityrelated health problems who have a body mass index of 40 or more.

Advantages: easier to perform, reversible. Disadvantages: less likely to maintain weight loss than with other surgeries. Roux-en-Y gastric bypass: A small stomach pouch is created to restrict food intake. A Y-shape section of the small intestine is attached to the pouch to allow food to bypass the lower stomach. Advantages: Patients often keep

weight off longer than with banding. Disadvantages: more difcult to perform, may result in nutritional deciencies.
Sources: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases; Bariatric Surgery in Adolescents, published in the March 2007 Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine; Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Bariatric Solutions

What are the options?

Adjustable gastric banding: A rubber band is placed around the stomach, creating a small pouch and a narrow passage into the rest of the stomach. The band is inated and can be adjusted.

How much does it cost?

It runs $20,000 to $35,000 but may be covered by insurance.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 27, 2008

THE BAKERSFIELD CALIFORNIAN A7

Weighed Down
SECOND IN A THREE-PART SERIES

Brooke Stanley

Struggling to live a normal teen life

Yesterday: Brooke couldnt ride an amusement park ride due to her weight. She comes to the conclusion something must be done. BY EMILY HAGEDORN
Californian staff writer e-mail: ehagedorn@bakerseld.com

Pink. Black. Things with skulls on them. Thats whats hot right now, and Brooke Stanley and her mother, Robin Stanley, eagerly peruse the racks at Ross Dress for Less on Rosedale Highway looking for them. I like polka dots, Brooke says, pulling out a black and white dotted shirt with a scoop neck. But not this one. Back-to-school shopping is hardly ever fun for most families. Finding the preppy but punk clothes Brooke wants on a slim budget in size 2X to 3X for shirts and size 22 for pants is especially tricky. When I was big I didnt want to wear polka dots, Robin says. Im glad she isnt like that. Brookes size makes it hard for her to shop at most stores. At 5 feet 6 inches tall and 268 pounds, the 15-year-old is morbidly obese, by adult standards. Brooke tries on a couple of tops and bottoms. She usually goes for the longer, empire-waisted shirts that cover her stomach and rear end. They think that all big girls have big boobs, Robin says of the clothing. Thats not always the case. Robin, who is very svelte with a size-4 frame and bright blonde hair, knows what its like to be heavy, having hit 267 pounds. She had gastric bypass surgery six years ago. Now Brooke is asking about surgery. I was thinking about it, and I would really want to do that within the next year, Brooke says. She thinks she would go with the bypass surgery her mother got, called Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, where stapling is used to create a small, upper stomach pouch, which is then connected to the small intestine. Its not going to be easy going through a surgery and automatically having to lose all this food, Brooke says of cutting back on what she eats. Its like going cold turkey, you know? Brooke grew concerned after she watched an episode of NBCs The Biggest Loser, in which 16-yearold Emily Senti was told she is prediabetic. It rocked Brookes perceptions of her health. The extra pounds around her arms, legs and midsection were no longer just an annoyance but an indicator of bad things to come. And surgery, Brooke feels, is the only solution. But the rst thing that comes to my mind is, Oh my gosh, what if I lose all this weight and then go through all this, and then I get pregnant? Some weight loss surgeries can reduce nutrients absorbed into the body, which could be a problem during pregnancy. Also, its very difcult to maintain weight loss during and after pregnancy. But then my Grammy had informed me that if I reach a certain weight, that theres a good chance I cant have a baby at all, she says. And so no matter which way I go, Im kind of messed up, you know? Robin is concerned that her daughter overestimates how much the operation would change her. She would rather her daughter give a good-faith effort to lose the weight by diet and exercise. Brooke once did Weight Watchers and saw a nutritionist with Kaiser Permanente, but neither of those had a lasting effect. They do surgery on your body but not your brain, Robin says. You still think fat. Robin told Brooke a couple of months before that she would be monitoring what the teen ate, encouraging her to keep a diary of her meals. But with the back-toschool rush and serious problems between Robin and Brookes father, Christopher Stanley theyre talking about divorce that effort has been dropped. Brooke maintains her desire for surgery isnt about vanity. Its about health. I accept the way I look. I think Im beautiful. But the fact is Im not healthy at all, she says. After half a mile, Im out of breath. I shouldnt be like that at this age. Im only 15. Brooke was ready when her

JOHN HARTE / THE CALIFORNIAN

Brooke Stanley waits in line with friends at a back-to-school party and barbecue in August.

JOHN HARTE / THE CALIFORNIAN

The week before returning to Liberty High for her sophomore year, Brooke Stanley shops for clothes with her mom, Robin.

BROOKE STANLEY
Age: 15 Grade: sophomore at Liberty High School Height: 5 feet 6 inches Weight: 268 pounds Ideal weight for her height and age: 103-151 pounds Body mass index: 43.3 Healthy body mass index for her height and age: between 16.5 and 24

JOHN HARTE / THE CALIFORNIAN

Brooke shows off the dress that she will wear to the winter formal. a green, short-sleeve hooded Tshirt. Her laugh can often be heard among the hubbub of teen chit chat. About three hours later, the team and several more from their church celebrate at a back-to-school party. With the abandon of a girl several years younger, Brooke quickly disrobes down to a black swimsuit with pink dots, a halter top with a skirt bottom. She and her best friend, Sara Fidler, a 15-year-old half Brookes size, are the rst to jump in. They dunk each other, splash around and goad the roughly 20 other teens and adults milling around the patio to join them. But to no avail. The teens soon line up and pick their way through burgers, hot dogs, chips and potato salad. After the meal, Brooke and Sara jump back in. Their friend, 15year-old Bethany Simmons, quietly looks on from a nearby table. Bethany recently went through a body transformation of her own. At one point, she was more than 200 pounds, she says. Now shes down to about 170. She did it by exercising and cutting out the snacks. Thats a big problem for me, Robin says, of nixing the junk. The weight loss gave Bethany condence, but even more so, Brookes exuberant nature helped pull Bethany, a self-proclaimed tomboy, out of her shell. Brooke would invite her out with friends and include her in conversations. I know that if she puts her mind to it, she can do it, Bethany says.

mother came into her room, telling her to gather her things. Robin, Brooke and Brookes twin siblings, 9-year-olds Chelsea and Chase, were moving to their grandparents home. Brookes parents are getting a divorce after 16 years of marriage. Brooke had cried a few times about the impending separation, but by the time her mother came into her room on that August day, she was prepared. She got some things and helped the twins get some clothes. When they got to her grandparents home, she helped keep her siblings occupied as her mother recuperated and started putting their family back together. Right now I refuse to cry about it, Brooke says. I refuse to cry about any stupid stuff now because I dont want to cry about that. A couple of hundred feet from home plate, Brooke bides her time,

JOHN HARTE / THE CALIFORNIAN

Brooke Stanley stands with a friend at a softball game in August. arms crossed. Her softball glove hangs limply off her wrist. Brookes church, Brimhall Road Assembly of God, is playing the Westside Church of Christ. In theory, softball sounds like good exercise. But deep in right eld, Brookes about as active as cars in a trafc jam. She looks up at the sky. Its the third week of August. Over the last few days, ash has fallen, carried with the wind from the Zaca re in Santa Barbara County. An intimidating boy comes up to bat and hits. Crack. The ball comes sailing straight for Brooke. Her eyes say, Oh, crap, but her legs dont move. The ball falls a few feet away, and her friend a position over throws it in. The boy is out at rst. You should have tried for that, Goob, Robin says after the inning. The whole reason Im out there is so I dont have to do anything, Brooke replies with her brace-lled smile. As her team bats, she sits by Robin, sipping a large cherry Sprite from Sonic, her new favorite drink. Shes more about the social aspect of church-league softball than actually playing it. And her teammates dont seem to mind. Brooke its from conversation to conversation in her jean capris and

Next:
Life at school. Life at home. And going under the knife.

Bakerseld.com
Learn more about Brooke through videos and an audio slide show at Bakerseld.com/weigheddown

A4

THE BAKERSFIELD CALIFORNIAN

OBESITY

MONDAY, JANUARY 28, 2008

Brooke Stanley

I would like to go through a depression where I didnt eat. Brooke Stanley

Weighed Down
LAST IN A THREE-PART SERIES

Teen makes life-altering decision

BROOKE STANLEY
Age: 15 Grade: sophomore at Liberty High School Height: 5 feet 6 inches Weight: 268 pounds Ideal weight for her height and age: 103-151 pounds Body mass index: 43.3 Healthy body mass index for her height and age: between 16.5 and 24 Yesterday: Brookes parents decide to divorce. Brooke grapples with back-to-school shopping and a day at the pool. BY EMILY HAGEDORN
Californian staff writer e-mail: ehagedorn@bakerseld.com

ike a street merchant hocking blackmarket goods, a small brunette girl comes over to Brooke Stanley and her friends lunch table at Liberty High School displaying her wares in a cardboard box. M&Ms. Snickers. Butterngers. Milky Ways. All for $1. And all for a good cause: the upcoming Halloween dance. Brooke, an outgoing 15-year-old who immediately makes anyone feel like a friend, is still debating whether shell go. She has to nd the perfect costume, which can be hard when most stores only dedicate a small rack to overweight spooksters. At 5 feet 6 inches tall and 268 pounds, Brooke is almost twice her ideal weight. Will you share some M&Ms with me? friend Jessie Mitchell asks the group. Brooke shakes her head. Shes saving her money, hoping to buy the clothes and wig needed to pull off Tracy Turnblatt, the bighaired and big-boned star of Hairspray. She saw the recent movie ve times over summer. They do it for everything, friend Sara Fidler says of the candy trafckers. You see them all over. Brooke wears a black headband with skulls to hold back her short red hair. Black skull hoop earrings hang down. She lazily picks at a spicy chicken sandwich (13.55 grams of fat, 361 calories). She washes it down with a chocolate milk. Next stop: Chillin before class. The group of girls strides over to Brookes locker. They laugh and tease one another. Hes on varsity, but he rides the bench a lot, Brooke says of Saras boyfriend, who plays for Centennial High School. Sara crosses her arms, feigning anger but smiling. The bell rings, and Brooke heads to history class, passing four more candy pushers

dont feel comfortable around him. Since the separation, Robin has lost 17 pounds, she says. Robin, like Brooke, was obese but had gastric bypass surgery six years ago and is now a willowy size 4. I would like to go through a depression where I didnt eat, Brooke says with a laugh. Throughout the turmoil, Brooke says her eating hasnt changed, and her weight hasnt noticeably uctuated. Shes not one to eat her feelings, she says. The conversation turns to bariatric surgery, a frequent topic. When Brooke turns 16 in May, Robin agrees to bring her to a surgeon a birthday present with the chance of a new life, as Brooke sees it. If the surgeon agrees and insurance pays, Brooke may get the surgery just as she gets her drivers license. Robin is hesitant about seeing Brooke on the operating table, but for the moment, the decision is in the future. For me, it was a really hard surgery. I dont know how she would take it, Robin says. And at some point shes going to want to have babies. I can just adopt for the rest of my life, Brooke replies. No more talk of diet and exercise. This is Brookes solution.

JOHN HARTE / THE CALIFORNIAN

Brooke Stanley, shown in her room this past summer, struggles with her weight. Outgoing and seemingly happy, Brooke still endures embarrassing situations because of her weight and sometimes wonders what life would be like for her if she werent so heavy. on the way. A period later Brooke is in gym class. She lines up with about 35 other kids as teacher Bill Richardson gives them directions for the run. We grade them on improvement, he says, watching his students from under a wide-brimmed straw hat. It might be 15 seconds, 10 seconds of improvement. Brooke puts on a happy face for the class. She jokes with some other students. But as she runs, her head spins with worry. If one person can be slower than me, that would be heaven. But Im always the one in the back. And Im always just a loser. Her brave face, though, has impressed Richardson. Shes always had a great attitude, he says. Richardson has helped Brooke enjoy the class more than previous years. He doesnt judge or exclude her for her weight, she says. Brooke comes around the corner shufing her feet, trying to keep up the pace. Sweat beads on her forehead and runs down into her gray Liberty Patriots T-shirt. At the beginning of the school year she could only do ve laps, she says. Now shes up to seven. Today I was in front of some people so that makes me feel good, she says, out of breath. Its a little after 4 p.m. in late November. Brooke is just getting home from school. The family is back in its Rosedale home after a stay at Brookes grandparents house early in the school year when Brookes parents, Robin and Christopher Stanley, separated. Nine-year-old twins Chelsea and Chase pop in and out of the house. Its Brookes job to clean up until her mother, Robin, an administrative assistant at an accounting rm, gets home. When is dinner going to be done, Chase asks as Robin walks in. Some vegetable oil goes in the pan and then a pound of 85 percent lean ground beef with a few generous shakes of salt, pepper, seasoning salt and garlic salt. Brooke opens an 8.5 ounce can of Rosarita spicy jalapeno refried beans. I want to make sure they eat early enough, Robin says. I only have a couple hours with them before they need to go to bed. The meat is soon browned and each person makes plates of tortillas topped with the meat, beans, cheese, lettuce and ketchup. We dont have any Taco Bell sauce, Brooke says. The house is quiet with only the hum of the television. Theres a show about how to look good naked for overweight girls, Brooke exclaims. No way, Robin says. That is so rude. What is cable TV coming to? Brooke and Robin sit in front of the television. Chase and Chelsea sit at the counter. Brooke tells her mom she is interested in trying out for Libertys softball team. She gets up to clean after dinner while Robin watches her. When she would clean, she would eat off the plates, Robin says. Ever since then, I watch how she cleans the kitchen. Brooke has grown closer to Robin in the last few months after her parents separation in October quickly led to divorce. Robin has a new boyfriend, and Christopher has proposed to another woman. It used to be where me and my dad were really close, Brooke says. But it totally changed. Me and my dad dont ght, but I

Bakerseld.com
Learn more about Brooke through an audio slide show at Bakerseld.com/weigheddown

ABOUT BMI
What is Body Mass Index?
A measure of weight relative to height, used since 1998 by the National Institutes of Health to dene overweight and obesity.

How is it calculated?
Divide your total weight in pounds by your height in inches squared and then multiply the result by 703. Or use the calculator at www.cdc.gov/ nccdphp/dnpa/bmi There is a separate calculator for adults and children.
Sources: The Surgeon Generals Call to Action to Prevent and Decrease Overweight and Obesity 2001; The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention