The number of children and teens undergoing weight loss surgeries to treat their obesity has nearly doubled in recent years.
The number of young people undergoing bariatric or metabolic surgery (MBS) has increased from 726 in 2016 to about 1,300 in 2021.
These surgeries change the size and function of the stomach and intestines to aid in weight loss and reduce food intake.
The number of weight-loss surgeries performed increased the most – almost 20 percent – from 2020 to 2021, when the Covid pandemic limited children’s opportunities to play and exercise and their use of video games and social media increased.
There are some examples of doctors expressing concern about introducing surgery rather than less drastic lifestyle changes, but the majority of the medical profession agrees that children cannot afford to go without medical intervention.
As many as 20 percent of American youth are obese and one in four is dangerously overweight
Fewer than 730 youth underwent MBS surgery in 2016. That number will skyrocket to about 1,300 by 2021
Childhood obesity rates in the US increased 17% from 2011 to 2020, with those ages 12 to 19 most at risk
Childhood obesity has been called one of the most serious public health challenges of the 21st century, according to the World Health Organization.
An estimated one in five children ages 19 and under is obese, a 17 percent increase from previous data collected in 2016 and extremely far from the five percent obesity rate in the 1970s.
Obesity causes damage to almost every part of a child’s body, puts a strain on the heart and lungs, disrupts the hormones that control blood sugar and puberty, and increases the risk of 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 heavy toll on a child’s self-esteem and mental well-being in the long run.
The American Academy of Pediatrics, the leading professional body for pediatrics, issued a policy in 2019 recommending MBS surgery in cases of severe childhood obesity, marking a major change in the way obesity is treated.
The American doctors behind the recent report, published in JAMA Pediatricsstudied surgery and obesity trends in nearly 1.4 million people ages 10 to 19 with a mean age of about 12 years.
The team wanted to see how the 2019 AAP policy change specifically changed the rate at which physicians performed MBS surgeries on youth.
They estimate that fewer than 730 youth underwent MBS surgery in 2016, compared to about 1,300 in 2021.
In 2019, about 970 young people went under the knife. That percentage grew to 1,100 in 2020 and again to 1,300 in 2021, a peak of nearly 19 percent.
Bariatric and metabolic surgeries are effective and long-term treatments for severe obesity, but have long been underused for several reasons. The operations are not cheap and insurance does not always cover the costs.
There is also significant stigma associated with using drugs to treat obesity rather than diet, exercise, and sheer willpower. Many people still believe that taking drugs like Wegovy or having surgery is the easy way out.
They said: ‘Behavioral lifestyle interventions alone do not lead to long-term, clinically important weight loss in young people with severe obesity. Metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS) is a safe and effective treatment.’
Still, some experts in the field, including Dr. Robert Lustig, an expert in pediatric endocrinology at the University of California, San Francisco, believe that weight loss injections and surgery “put a Band-Aid on the problem,” not “fix the problem.” ‘. ‘
MBS surgery makes the stomach smaller and bypasses part of the intestine, reducing food intake and changing the way the body absorbs food for energy. This results in decreased hunger and increased feelings of fullness.
While the rate has nearly doubled in the past five years, rates of these pediatric surgeries remain low amid concerns that medical interventions are too addressing for minors.
And while irreversible surgery on a teen may seem like a risky step too far, experts are quick to point out that the health risks associated with severe obesity are too great not to undergo MBS.
The causes of the rising obesity rate across the country are multifaceted. In general, Americans consume more calories. According to the Pew research centerthe average American consumed 2,481 calories per day in 2010, an increase of more than 20 percent from 1970.
At the same time, teens are not getting the recommended amount of exercise to maintain a healthy weight. A 2022 report from researchers at the University of Georgia found it that about three out of four teenagers don’t get enough exercise.
And to compound the problem, children are much more likely to eat unhealthy “junk foods” than adults, according to researchers at the University of Toronto, Canada.
They found that snacks with kid-friendly packaging such as cartoon characters and multi-colored designs had an average of 63 percent more sugar, the equivalent of one and a half teaspoons.
They also contain less protein, fiber, calcium and iron – nutrients that are important for growth and development, especially in younger children.