Weight-Loss Surgeries , for Adolescents Increasing, Amid Rise in Obesity, Study Finds.
'Time' reports that the increase
comes amid an overall rise in the number
of obesity treatments in the U.S.
In 2021, the number of adolescents who underwent
metabolic or bariatric surgery between the ages
of 10 and 19 rose 20% from the year before.
A research letter published May 30 in the 'Journal of the American
Medical Association, Pediatrics' found that the rate of these
surgeries also rose among minors between 2019 and 2020.
According to the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention, almost 20% of children
and adolescents in the U.S. live with obesity.
Bariatric surgery hasn’t necessarily
been accepted or embraced by the
pediatric community or pediatricians, Sarah Messiah, study co-author and professor at the University
of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, via 'Time'.
In January, the American Academy of Pediatrics
released new guidelines on obesity
treatments for children and teens.
'Time' reports that the guidelines include recommendations for prescription weight
loss drugs and evaluations prior to surgery.
In 2019, the American Academy of Pediatrics released
a statement calling for greater access to weight-loss surgery,
citing evidence the procedure helps young people.
The data at this point is overwhelming
that it’s effective. It helps these
adolescents lose weight. It helps them
get healthier. Why should we wait?, Sarah Messiah, study co-author and professor at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, via 'Time'