Extreme measures: Number of children given weight-loss surgery has doubled in past 5 years
Daily Mail The number of children and teens undergoing weight loss surgeries to treat their obesity has nearly doubled in recent years.
The rate at which young people are getting bariatric or metabolic surgeries (MBS) has risen from 726 in 2016 to about 1,300 in 2021.
These surgeries alter the size and function of the stomach and intestines to assist in weight loss and reduce food intake.
The number of weight loss surgeries performed increased most sharply - nearly 20 percent - from 2020 to 2021 when Covid pandemic lockdowns limited kids' opportunities to play and exercise and increase their use of video games and social media.
There are some instances of doctors voicing concern about introducing surgery as opposed to less invasive liefestyle changes, but the majority of the medical field agrees that children cannot afford to go without medical intervention.
Childhood obesity has been dubbed one of the most serious public health challenges of the 21st century, according to the World Health Organization.
