Weight Loss Procedures Surge Among US Teens

The number of teenagers who underwent surgical weight loss between 2010 and 2017 has doubled. According to research released by the American Academy of Pediatrics, minority adolescents, who have a greater proportion of obesity, are less likely to undergo weight loss surgery.

Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery in Teens

About 9,014 patients aged 12 to 19 underwent metabolic and bariatric surgery between 2010 and 2017. The researchers discovered that adolescent patients undergoing metabolic and bariatric surgery increased from 2.29 per 100,000 in 2010 to 4.62 per 100,000 in 2017. Over 75% of patients were female, a figure that remained constant throughout the study.

In 2017, 45% of patients were white, 14.6% were black, and 26% were Hispanic, according to the researchers. The percentages did not match the obesity rates for kids between the ages of 2 and 19 in these groups: 25.6% of black kids, 24.2% of Hispanic kids, and 16.1% of white kids are obese.

The treatments are life-changing for children with severe obesity. Baddr Shakhsheer, M.D., a pediatric surgeon at St. Louis Children's Hospital in Missouri and research co-author said, “These patients not only benefit medically and physiologically, but in terms of their quality of life- it increases dramatically,” he said. “Obesity is already wreaking havoc on these children, and I think that we’re recognizing it now earlier. The sooner we intervene, the better quality and longevity of life we can provide for these patients.”

Weight-Loss Surgery in Severely Obese Teenagers

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, one of the only evidence-based, safe, and effective ways that help preteens and teens struggling with severe obesity is weight-loss surgery. According to the organization, the gastric sleeve and gastric bypass are the most popular procedures and can help people lose about 30% of their body weight and keep it off. According to the organization, the procedure is not used as frequently as it ought to be.

“Healthcare providers must work with families, especially the most vulnerable and high-risk, to expand equitable access to comprehensive, multidisciplinary, pediatric-specific bariatric programs,” the authors wrote. “The current data only underscores the point that obesity-related health disparities disproportionately impact minority groups, and that said minority groups are still less likely to receive surgical weight loss treatment than their white counterparts.”

Source-Medindia