Bloomington teen loses 65 pounds and finds herself

Patient Stories |

10/24/2024

Bella Simmons

Bella Simmons is thriving after seeking treatment through Riley’s Weight Management Program.

By Maureen Gilmer, Riley Children’s Health senior writer, mgilmer1@iuhealth.org

For most of her young life, Bella Simmons has struggled with her weight. It didn’t make sense to her parents. She was active, played three sports and ate nutritious meals. Her entire family was fit.

Bella Simmons

Yet, the scale kept creeping up. At the age of 10, she weighed twice as much as her fifth-grade classmates. By the summer before eighth grade, she was up to 202 pounds.

Her parents tried to help her, but it wasn’t until they landed in the office of Dr. Sara Naramore in the pediatric gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition department at Riley Hospital for Children that they found answers.

“That was the day that changed everything,” Bella’s mom said.

By the time Bella, then 13, and Erin Simmons met Dr. Naramore in August 2023, they had exhausted all other options -- diets, nutritionists, therapy. Despite a healthy diet, her body just did not metabolize foods and sugars at a high rate.

"She was classified as having class 2 obesity, which is a chronic illness in itself. People have a hard time understanding that class two obesity is not always a result of eating poorly or little exercise. There are genetic factors that also play a part," Simmons said.

“It’s been quite the journey," the Bloomington mother of two said. “I get emotional about it because it is a journey not only for Bella but also just being a parent and watching your child go through all of these struggles.”

Bella Simmons

To see her daughter now, though, Simmons is joyful and grateful. Which is precisely how Bella feels. Not because she reached a certain weight, but because she is happy in her skin.

“I see the person she was meant to be," Simmons said. "She’s confident, she’s happy, she is thriving.”

The 5-foot 7-inch Bloomington high school freshman lost 65 pounds over the past year and is now maintaining her weight at 140 with the support of the Riley Weight Management Clinic, led by Dr. Naramore, who prescribed a semaglutide drug for Bella.

Bella Simmons

Approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration in 2021 for chronic weight management in adults, the weekly injectable medicine has also been deemed safe for children ages 12 and older.

Simmons, who comes from a family of physicians, knew about the possible benefits of the weight-loss medications on the market but worried about side effects.

Other than a touch of nausea early on, Bella had no trouble adjusting to the medication, but she is monitored by Dr. Naramore through regular follow-up care, which includes nutritional support.

“Bella is on maintenance now and doing well,” Dr. Naramore said. “She is at a healthy weight.”

Losing that weight (at the recommended rate of 1 to 2 pounds per week) is not just about taking medication, the physician cautions. The medicine is a tool to be used in conjunction with a proper diet and exercise.

Bella Simmons

But it was key to Bella’s success, her mom said, noting that Bella had been in the 100th percentile for weight since she was a toddler, despite the family’s active lifestyle and nutritious meals. Her pediatrician told her parents over the years not to worry – that she would grow out of it.

So Simmons and her husband, Derek, former Indiana University baseball coach and now Duke University’s baseball coach, kept their concerns at bay. It was important to them not to transfer their worries to their daughter.

“There’s a fine line dealing with a young girl,” Erin Simmons said. “You don’t want body image issues, so you can’t constantly focus on it.”

At the same time, she said, she felt powerless to help her daughter, even as she saw Bella starting to compare herself to her friends and as other health concerns (pre-diabetes, high cholesterol) began to grow.

When the family moved to Bloomington from Atlanta, it was 2020, right at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. They didn’t know any local doctors, but after some stops and starts, Bella’s uncle, a cardiologist, suggested they look outside of Bloomington.

Still, it took years of back and forth – partially due to COVID – to find the help they were seeking. Meanwhile, Bella’s parents were worried that her weight was already taking a toll on not just her physical health, but her mental health as well.

“I told the pediatrician that I wasn’t leaving the office until they gave me a referral. We had tried diets and visited nutritionists, and that wasn’t the problem,” Simmons said.

“Dr. Naramore was the first doctor to really sit and listen and see the tears from my daughter. She spoke to her without blame or shame.”

And now, despite suffering sports injuries and having to sit out parts of her softball and volleyball seasons, she is thriving, her mom said.

Bella takes the semaglutide Wegovy, which acts on areas of the brain that are involved in regulating appetite. It increases feelings of fullness, reduces feelings of hunger and reduces the preference for high-fat foods. It also lowers blood sugar by promoting the release of insulin when blood sugar levels are high.

Bella’s blood work shows the physical results. Her cholesterol has dropped to the normal range, she is no longer pre-diabetic.

"She wasn’t prescribed the drug for looks. She was prescribed the drug for pure health conditions," Simmons said. "The weight loss, yes, was a benefit, but the fact that she no longer is prediabetic, or has high blood pressure or high cholesterol and all her levels are now in the normal healthy range is all that matters."

Her mental and emotional health also have improved.

“I’m so incredibly proud of her and all of the hard work she has done and is finally being rewarded," Simmons said. “Finding Dr. Naramore and the entire staff has been so amazing.”

Bella

Working with Bella and her family has been rewarding to Dr. Naramore, who is delighted to see the teen doing so well.

“We want everybody feeling good in their bodies and being healthy,” she said. “Obesity is a chronic disease, so we need to treat it like any other chronic disease."

That includes using medications when warranted – just like people do for high blood pressure, asthma and other conditions, she said.

“It’s the way our body’s physiology works. For some people, lifestyle modifications aren’t enough to get them to a healthy weight, so they need extra support to help change the way their body processes and thinks about food,” Dr. Naramore said.

For teens, she said, we should think about it as a form of early intervention, “so they don’t develop these co-morbidities at a younger age that will hamper their long-term health.”

Wegovy and similar medications aren’t for everyone, of course. First, patients are screened for other health conditions and eating disorders. Bella was motivated from the day she stepped foot into Dr. Naramore’s office. That motivation and family support are crucial for success.

“We shouldn’t be afraid to talk about obesity,” the physician said. “It’s a very common condition, and the sooner we treat it, the better. And now we have more options out there to help kids be successful.”

Erin Simmons isn’t afraid to talk about it. In fact, that’s why she agreed to share her family’s story.

Bella

“For one Bella, there are a million other kids who are struggling,” she said. “Luckily, I have the background I have, and I would not give up fighting, but there are many other parents experiencing the same thing who don’t know where to turn.”

That lack of guidance and/or access to proper care could have long-term consequences for today’s children, she said.

“You know your child and their potential, and there’s no worse feeling than feeling powerless. Your child should have every capability to be who they are meant to be. If I can help one person and Bella can help one person feel they’re not alone, that there is help out there, that’s what we want to do.”

Related Doctor

Sara K. Naramore, MD

Sara K. Naramore, MD

Pediatric Gastroenterology