Bariatric Surgery While Young Yields Enduring Health Benefits
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Bariatric surgery among adolescents or young adults with severe obesity leads to durable reductions in body weight along with dramatic reductions in rates of diabetes, hypertension, and depression, according to new research in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons. Approximately 12% of non-Hispanic Blacks, 9% of Hispanics, and 7% of Whites ages 12-19 have severe obesity, the authors note, citing 2018 data in Pediatrics. That paper defines severe obesity as a BMI of at least 35 kg/m2 or greater, or equal to 120% of the 95th percentile for someone's age and sex. For this population, the authors argue, lifestyle modification alone is unlikely to lead to better health.
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@sabuj The ongoing study tracks the health outcomes of 96 people (83% female, 75% Hispanic) who received bariatric surgery by the time they were 21 years old (median age, 19). Their median BMI prior to surgery was 44.7 kg/m2 — a figure considered extremely obese. Participants' median weight prior to surgery was 278.5 pounds, ranging from 241.5 to 324 pounds.