Earlier, I blogged about the White House campaign led by First Lady Michelle Obama to reduce childhood obesity.

Obesity surgery was found by a new study to be much more effective than lifestyle changes alone.
Ed Betz/AP Photo

Crystal Kasprowicz, who underwent LAP-BAND weight-loss surgery as a teenager, holds up an old pair of pants from before the procedure, in her home in St. James, NY in January 2007.

Here's another story related to childhood weight problems: researchers found that surgery appeared to be significantly more effective in reducing the weight of teenagers who were significantly obese compared to lifestyle changes.

The Journal of the American Medical Association contains a study by researchers in Melbourne, Australia who divided a group of 50 teenagers between 14 and 18 years of age with body mass indexes of 35 or greater.

Participants in one group changed their lifestyle, that is, eating and exercise habits while the other group had a LAP BAND surgery.

In that surgery, the device is surgically placed around the upper stomach and adjusted to constrict the organ so a patient feels fuller sooner and longer, reducing the calories the patient consumes.

After two years the researchers found that of those teenagers in the surgery group, 21 of 24 had achieved the goal of losing 50 percent or more of their weight. Meanwhile, just 3 of 25 in the lifestyle group achieved that goal.

There have been other studies of adolescents that examined the effects of bariatric surgery on teenagers.

But what was lacking, according to the Australian researchers, was a randomized control trial in which compared the benefits of surgery to lifestyle changes.

 

Based on the study, the researchers recommended that doctors still try lifestyle changes first to reduce the weight and consequent related health problems, in teenagers who are seriously obese.

But if such changes fail, the researchers concluded that their study makes a strong case for the LAP BAND procedure.

An excerpt from their study:

In this study, gastric banding proved to be an effective intervention leading to a substantial and durable reduction in obesity and to better health. The adolescent and parents must understand the importance of careful adherence to recommended eating behaviors and of seeking early consultation if symptoms of reflux, heartburn, or vomiting occur. As importantly, they should be in a setting in which they can maintain contact with health professionals who understand the process of care.

This study indicates that, in such a setting, the laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding process can achieve important improvements in weight, health, and quality of life in severely obese adolescents.