Teens Who Have Obesity Who Undergo Bariatric Surgery May Have Long-Term Mental Health Problems Afterwards,

“Teens with obesity who underwent bariatric surgery still had mental health problems five years after the operation, despite improvements in weight,” researchers concluded. The 161-participant study revealed that “five years after starting weight loss interventions, a significantly higher proportion of teens in the surgical cohort sought psychiatric care compared to teens receiving non-surgical treatment for obesity.” This was evidenced by the fact that “27% of patients in the surgical group initiated psychiatric medication and 24% initiated inpatient or outpatient psychiatric care during the study period,” compared to “just 7% and 10% of the surgical and nonsurgical cohorts, respectively,” who “discontinued specialized psychiatric treatment after weight loss therapy.” The findings were published online Jan. 21 in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health. https://www.medpagetoday.com/pediatrics/obesity/84479