Teen Obesity and Gastric Banding

Gastric banding surgery may be more effective for weight loss in obese teens.
The Los Angeles Times (2/10, Stein) reports, "Gastric banding surgery appears to be significantly more effective than lifestyle interventions in helping severely obese teenagers lose a significant amount of weight and keep it off," according to research published online in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The procedure "involves placing an adjustable device on the upper part of the stomach to make a pouch that allows only small amounts of food, creating feelings of fullness sooner."
The Wall Street Journal (2/10, Mathews) reports that the study showed that on average, participants lost an estimated 28 percent of their total body weight, compared to a three percent decline in those who maintained a reduced-calorie diet and exercised. Patients who underwent bariatric surgery also performed better on certain diabetes and heart-related measures, although the study also showed some improvement from dieting and exercising. The NIH is now also testing the procedure in teenagers.
According to Reuters (2/10, Steenhuysen), the study showed that gastric banding surgery helped eliminate metabolic syndrome in all patients who previously had the condition. Of the 40 percent of teens with metabolic syndrome who underwent lifestyle interventions, 22 percent still had the condition after two years. WebMD (2/9, Doheny), MedPage Today (2/9, Neale), and Medscape (2/9, Barclay) also covered the story.