title: Managing adolescent obesity and the role of bariatric surgery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This update explores the current management options for adolescent obesity with a specific focus on bariatric surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Research has highlighted the serious health complications associated with adolescent obesity and thus emphasized the need for effective interventions. With the increasing severity of obesity seen in younger populations, coupled with the modest effects of most behavioral and even pharmacologic interventions, there has been increased interest in, and attention on, bariatric surgery in younger populations. Recent adult-focused guidelines regarding the perioperative nutritional, metabolic, and nonsurgical support of the bariatric surgery patient outline the importance of careful patient selection, in addition to close monitoring, with a particular focus on preventing nutritional deficiencies. Several recent publications have focused on issues specific to bariatric surgery in the adolescent patient including the relationship between a patient's physical and emotional maturity and timing of surgery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Adolescent obesity is prevalent with increasing severity and long-term health implications. To date nonsurgical interventions have had modest effects. Bariatric surgery is becoming more common and has been shown to be well tolerated and effective in adolescents, but requires careful preoperative screening and postoperative monitoring.
authors.affiliation: aDepartment of Medicine, Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine bDepartment of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Shannon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: McGinty
authors.forename: Tracy K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Richmond
authors.forename: Nirav K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Desai
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D000067697:Adolescent Health; D017195:Adolescent Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D050110:Bariatric Surgery / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology; D004038:Diet, Reducing; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans; D009765:Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery*; D018579:Patient Selection; D019990:Perioperative Care / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D015431:Weight Loss