Get the latest news about obesity and childhood obesity, find out about new bariatric surgery studies, and read about others who have experienced success with weight-loss surgery.
On January 31, U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius announced the release of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The federal government's nutritional guidance to promote health, reduce the risk of chronic disease, and reduce the rate of overweight and obesity in the United States, the guidelines are updated every five years.
According to a new study published in the November 4 issue of JAMA Pediatrics, weight-loss surgery is now considered a safe procedure for severely obese teens and is not associated with any major complications. Previously, the safety of bariatric surgery for teens was challenged given the risk of possible vitamin deficiency, infection, pneumonia, and other complications.
Bariatric surgery has been shown to help thousands of overweight and obese American patients lose excess weight on a yearly basis, but a new study shows that many patients are lacking key vitamins and nutrients in their diets that could lead to nutritional deficiency.
The New York Times ran an article about the unknown consequences of children and teens going through weight loss surgery. While the newspaper states that those who have received bariatric surgery have had promising results, it is still unknown whether or not the long-term results of teens and children who have received bariatric surgery will be as promising.
The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery states that bariatric surgery has proven to be the most effective and lasting treatment for those who suffer from morbid obesity and related comorbidities. Through bariatric surgery, patients who are overweight can significantly lower their risk of related conditions such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and even death.
