Weight loss surgery for children and teens struggling with obesity

Right now, one in 12 children and adolescents in the US are severely obese. If that isn’t startling enough, consider this: among 12-to-15-year-olds, that number jumps to one in 10 — and among 16-to-19-year-olds, it is one in seven. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the best hope for many of these youths may be bariatric surgery. Bariatric surgery is surgery that helps with weight loss by making the stomach smaller and making other changes in the digestive system. It’s jarring to think about doing irreversible surgery on an adolescent — or a child, as the AAP discourages age limits for bariatric surgery. But the reality is that obesity, with all of its risks, can be equally irreversible. In children and teenagers, obesity is defined as a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to the 95th percentile for age and sex. If you are obese by the time you are 12, research suggests you have a 98% chance of being obese as an adult. Those are not good odds — and they are made more alarming by the complications of obesity. Diabetes, high blood pressure, fatty liver disease, and obstructive sleep apnea (which can lead to further problems, including heart disease) are the most common complications among younger people. In adults, the list expands to include even more problems, such as stroke, arthritis, and cancer. Clearly, this is not a problem we can ignore. When obesity isn’t severe, lifestyle changes such as eating a healthy diet and getting more ex...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Adolescent health Children's Health Diabetes Diet and Weight Loss Parenting Source Type: blogs