Adolescents who have weight-loss surgery experience enduring health benefits, according to new research. A study published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine found that people 19 and younger with severe obesity, who had one of two types of weight-loss surgery, were able to maintain their reduced weight and had fewer obesity-related health issues 10 years later. "These findings are essential as effective treatment options for severe pediatric obesity remain rare," the study's principal investigator, Dr.
Thomas Inge, surgeon-in-chief at Lurie Children's Hospital in Chicago, told UPI . "Robust data on the outcomes of modern bariatric procedures are invaluable for clinicians and families considering ways to support adolescents facing obesity, especially in cases of rapid weight gain." The people in the study, who had an average age of 17, each underwent gastric bypass or sleeve gastrectomy weight-loss surgeries.
They maintained an average of 20% reduction in body mass index – as well as a 57% reduction of hypertension and a 54% reduction of abnormal cholesterol – after 10 years. Especially striking to the researchers was that the teenagers had a 55% reduction of type 2 diabetes, a much higher reduction than seen in adults who have weight-loss surgery. Adults who underwent weight-loss surgery had 18% reduction in type 2 diabetes at seven years and a 12.
7% reduction at 12 years, previous research found. "Type 2 diabetes tends to progress more rapidly when it occur.