Bariatric surgery for obese adolescents

In 1929, producer Hal Roach and director Robert McGowan had to hold a nationwide audition to find an obese child to play Chubby in the new sound version of “Our Gang.” They eventually signed 12-year-old Norman Chaney—who was 3 feet, 11 inches tall and weighed 113 pounds.

Today you wouldn’t have to look that hard to find an overweight child. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 20 percent of school-age children are obese. That’s triple the number since 1970. The number of obese children with Type 2 diabetes also has skyrocketed. That prompted researchers at Boston’s Joslin Diabetes Center to explore whether bariatric surgery had helped obese adolescents with Type 2 diabetes.

They found that compared with obese kids who only took medications, gastric bypass surgery did a better job of lowering blood glucose levels, led to greater weight loss and helped normalize cholesterol and blood pressure levels. Those who underwent surgical intervention also showed significant improvements in kidney function and cardiovascular disease risk factors.

Seems for obese kids under age 19, bariatric surgery might be a life-saver. True, we don’t have long-term follow-up of these adolescents, but results show promise in helping them achieve enduring lifestyle changes. Consult your doctor, and remember that bariatric surgery is only effective when combined with lifestyle changes, including regular exercise and switching to a nutritious diet without added sugars and syrups, all trans and most saturated fats and all processed grains.