Obesity Surgery Risks Studied for Teens

A new federally funded five year study has begun that will follow the health risks of 200 teenagers that have are severly obese. The teens will undergo bariatric surgery and researchers will monitor health factors that include cholesterol levels, liver function, cardiosvascular risk and markers for diabetes. Also, psychological problems like depression, low self-esteem and social interaction can be monitored. Some believe that the teens do not understand the complications of bariatric surgery and only "see surgery as a quick fix that will make up for poor eating habits and a lack of exercise." This is not saying that the 200 kids selected for the study were not medically in need of it, with one girl that was interviewed in the article was 17 years old, 5 foot 5 and wieghed 296 pounds.
This study will be beneficial to many people because if these teens are able to lose a signigifcant amount of weight, lose most of their medical issues like high blood pressure,Type 2 diabetes, and sleep apnea, then perhaps as these teens become adults they will be able to live healthier lives and avoid the psychological problems that come with severe obesity.
http://health.aol.com/news/story/_a/obesity-surgery-risks-studied-for-teens/n20070426152209990033?cid=474