Extreme measures: Number of children given weight-loss surgery has doubled in ... trends now
The number of children and teens undergoing weight loss surgeries to treat their obesity has nearly doubled in recent years.
The rate at which young people are getting bariatric or metabolic surgeries (MBS) has risen from 726 in 2016 to about 1,300 in 2021.
These surgeries alter the size and function of the stomach and intestines to assist in weight loss and reduce food intake.
The number of weight loss surgeries performed increased most sharply - nearly 20 percent - from 2020 to 2021 when Covid pandemic lockdowns limited kids' opportunities to play and exercise and increase their use of video games and social media.
There are some instances of doctors voicing concern about introducing surgery as opposed to less invasive liefestyle changes, but the majority of the medical field agrees that children cannot afford to go without medical intervention.
A staggering 20 percent of American youth are obese with one-in-four being dangerously overweight
Fewer than 730 youth underwent MBS surgeries in 2016. That figure shot up to about 1,300 in 2021
Rates of childhood obesity in the U.S. jumped 17% from 2011 to 2020, with those aged 12 to 19 years old the most at risk
Childhood obesity has been dubbed one of the most serious public health challenges of the 21st century, according to the World Health Organization.
An estimated one in five children 19 and younger are obese, a 17 percent jump from previous data gathered in 2016 and an extremely far cry from the five percent obesity rate in the 1970s.
Obesity inflicts damage on nearly every part of a child’s body, placing strain on the heart and lungs, disrupting the hormones that control blood sugar and puberty, and increasing the odds of having high blood pressure and cholesterol.
In addition to contributing to sleep apnea, a higher risk of heart disease, and fatty liver disease, obesity can also take a severe toll on a child’s self-esteem and mental well-being long-term.
The American Academy of Pediatrics, the preeminent professional organization for children's medicine, issued a policy in 2019 recomending MBS surgeries in cases of severe pediatric obesity, marking a major sea change in the way obesity is treated.
The American physicians behind the recent report, published in JAMA Pediatrics, studied surgery and obesity trends in nearly 1.4 million people aged 10 to 19 with an average age of
