The world-first research, conducted by Monash University and the Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne, Australia and funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), compares the outcomes of gastric banding surgery with those of an intensive, medically-supervised lifestyle program in 50 teens (14 to 18 years) over two years.
The research, published in the prestigious Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) today, reveals how the gastric banding study participants shed an average of 79 per cent of their excess weight, compared to 13 per cent of those following a traditional, intensive, medically-supervised lifestyle program.
According to Professor Paul O’Brien, National Medical Director for the American Institute of Gastric Banding, Dallas and Head of the Centre for Obesity Research and Education (CORE) at Monash University, Melbourne, the study reveals that adolescents can achieve important improvements in weight, health and quality of life following placement of a gastric band and with support from parents and healthcare professionals.
“While this study confirms that some adolescents can achieve substantial weight loss and health improvements through diet and exercise, gastric banding should be considered for those severely obese adolescents who find primary weight loss methods unsuccessful”.
For more information visit www.vivacommunications.com.au/teens
