Surgical Management Strategies for Extremely Obese Adolescents

摘要

The past three decades have witnessed epidemicnrates of adult and adolescent obesity. Eighteennpercent of pediatric patients are obese (bodynmass index [BMI] for age u000295th percentile), whilen2%–6% exhibit “extreme obesity” (BMI for age >n99th percentile).1 Childhood obesity is associated withnnumerous physical and medical problems. Indeed,nrecent data indicate that obesity in children is associatednwith multiple cardiovascular disease risk factorsnthat increase proportionately with increasing BMI percentiles.nTherefore, extreme pediatric obesity is oftennan overt indicator of other adverse conditions thatnrequire careful evaluation and treatment.1