More kids and some preteens should get weight-loss surgery

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While They’re Eating Pizza? –

OCTOBER 27, 2019 -It’s not a quick fix, she said. “It’s a lifelong decision with implications every single day for the rest of your life.” Nearly 5 million U.S. children and teens are severely obese, a near doubling over 20 years. Many have already developed related health problems including diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea and liver disease. But most kids don’t get obesity surgery, mainly because most public and private health insurance doesn’t cover it or they live far from surgery centers, Armstrong said. Costs can total at least $20,000.

Resistance from pediatricians is another obstacle. Many prefer “watchful waiting,” or think surgery is risky or will alter kids’ growth. Some don’t recommend surgery because they think “weight is a personal responsibility rather than a medical problem,” the new policy states.

Dr. Rebecca Carter, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, said the new recommendations give pediatricians better guidance about which patients should be referred and evaluated.