Should Adolescents and Teens Have Weight Loss Surgery?

Monday, 31 August 2009 10:13

As obesity rates in America are continuously on the rise, parents and doctors alike have been pushing for more and more adolescents and teens to consider weight loss surgery, mostly because 80% of all obese children and teens will continue to be obese when they reach adulthood. Although instances of patients of this age who receive weight loss surgery is still uncommon, the percentage of this age group as patients has more than tripled since 2000, according to the Consumer Guide to Bariatric Surgery.

In bariatric facilities that take patients younger than 18, doctors take many things into consideration when deciding whether or not to approve someone for weight loss surgery. These include if a patient has a Body Mass Index (BMI) of over 40, or of over 35 if that patient also has an accompanying condition (also called a co-morbidity) that affects their quality of living. Examples include diabetes, high blood pressure, or asthma. A majority of doctors will only recommend weight loss surgery when the patient's risks of dying from obesity are greater than the risks associated with the procedure.

Proponents of preforming weight loss surgery in adolescents and teens have claimed that obese adolescents and teens face more scrutiny and adverse reactions from peers than other children of a healthy weight. Because of this, obese adolescents and teens may develop anxiety, depression, or other issues which affect them for a lifetime. Combined with the physical strain of excess weight, many obese adolescents and teens become loners and isolate themselves from friends and family. As with adult surgery patients, many have tried several different diet methods, but have failed to maintain any weight loss. They see their only solutions to be either accepting their obesity or getting approved for weight loss surgery.

However, bariatric surgery isn't an end-all solution. After the procedure, patients must learn how to eat healthy, exercise, and stay motivated in their new lifestyle. Some patients may be required to work with a dietician and/or a counselor for several years or more and patients (of any age) must be willing to commit to this. As with any weight loss surgery, this age group faces the risk of addiction transference (moving from an addiction to food to an addiction to something else, such as promiscuity or alcohol) and other psychological issues. This is why counseling is recommended before and after surgery.

While most adolescents and teens face the same risks as adult weight loss surgery patients, it is unknown whether or not younger patients will experience them in a magnified or more extreme sense. More long-term research needs to be completed in order to find out how younger patients live out their adulthood after receiving weight loss surgery. Some of these long-term results include the percentage of weight kept off and weight lost.

A current study by the U.S. Government, called "Teen-Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery (Teen-LABS) Adolescent Bariatrics: Assessing Health Benefits and Risk" began March 2007 and is planned to last until July 2011. This study involves the participation of several hospitals and universities around the country that gave adolescents and teens ages 12-19 weight loss surgery. This study will hopefully provide the answers needed to support weight loss surgery in adolescents and teens, as well as make weight loss surgery approved for this age group. Because this is a 5-year study, researchers are able to see longer-term results that what has previously been studied.

To view more information about the Clinical Trial (Teen-LABS), please visit: http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00474318.