A new study finds most obese teens who undergo weight-loss surgery reap major health benefits over the long term.
Researchers analyzed outcomes for 260 young adults who had bariatric surgery for severe obesity when they were 13–19 years old.
At the 10-year mark, 55% of the participants who had type 2 diabetes as teens were still in remission, according to the results. They also sustained a 20% drop in body mass index, a 57% drop in high blood pressure and a 54% decline in abnormal cholesterol.
The lead author says, “This is considerably better than the outcomes reported in people who underwent bariatric surgery as adults, a major reason why treating obesity seriously in adolescents is so important.”
Almost five million adolescents are eligible for weight-loss interventions like bariatric surgery, according to current recommendations.
Source: New England Journal of Medicine, National Institutes of Health
Author Affiliations: Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
