Obesity Surgery Benefits May Be Bigger For Teens Than Adults

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A study finds that teens who have obesity surgery lose as much weight as adults who have the operation and are more likely to have other health problems go away.

Doctors compared results of gastric bypass surgery in 161 teens and 396 adults who had been obese since they were teens. Five years after their operations, both groups had lost 26% to 29% of their weight.

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Diabetes and high blood pressure went into remission in more of the teens than the adults. Some side effects were more common in teens, and they were more likely to need a second operation.

The study was published Thursday by the New England Journal of Medicine and discussed at an obesity conference in Houston.