Weight Loss Surgery an Option for Some Teens

Weight loss surgery is considered the most effective treatment option for those struggling with obesity. In the past decade, advances in bariatric procedures have created a variety of styles and options, including a wide range of minimally and even non-invasive surgical techniques that reduce the risk associated with the operation and maximize weight loss results.

For those who have a significant amount of weight to lose, weight loss surgery is looked at as the most effective solution. But many people wait years before making the choice to undergo a bariatric procedure, and there are some who are saying that putting off this life-changing procedure may not be necessary, or wise.

Benefits of Weight Loss Surgery for Teens

The longer you struggle with obesity, the greater your risk for developing obesity related disease becomes. Your risk for developing chronic illnesses like heart disease, type-2 diabetes, hypertension and even certain cancers is amplified the longer you struggle with excess weight.

This is a reality for adults who are overweight or obese, and weight loss surgery provides an option to reduce that risk of potential illness. But for many, the struggle with obesity doesn’t begin as an adult. It begins much earlier, during the teenage and in some cases even the childhood years.

Kids who are overweight are more likely to be overweight as teens and as adults. Those who are overweight or obese as teenagers are more likely to continue to be overweight or obese as adults, and what is more, being overweight as a teen just increases the likelihood that you’ll develop health issues in relation to your weight. This is why weight loss experts advocate addressing obesity early on by encouraging weight loss in teenagers who are obese.

Getting weight loss surgery as a teenager can reduce the risk of developing a wide range of obesity related diseases later on in life, and in this can actually reduce the overall cost of health care over time. In fact, a recent study has found that due to the immense amount of savings in health care costs, getting weight loss surgery as a teenager, rather than waiting to have the procedure done later on in life, will actually pay for itself.

Weight loss surgery isn’t recommended for all teenagers. Only those who are extremely overweight and who have struggled to lose weight through other means are good candidates. Your weight loss surgeon can help you determine if weight loss surgery is an ideal solution for you at any age.