Children’s National Medical Center in collaboration with researches from New York University have found laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (Lap band) to improve the health of morbidly obese adolescents. The participants showed significant decreases in total and android fat mass 2 years after surgery. Android fat has been linked to the development of obesity-related illnesses, such as diabetes, heart disease, and insulin resistance.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), childhood obesity has increased significantly over the last three decades. Since 1980, the percentage of obese children has doubled and the number of obese adolescents has tripled. Childhood obesity has numerous medical and social implications and Dothan Pediatricians say one of the biggest concerns is the high risk of developing obesity as an adult. Overweight adolescents are more likely to be obese adults and that chance increases if one parent is obese.

GI Dynamics has announced that the new data on its novel non-invasive device to treat obesity and type 2 diabetes, EndoBarrier™, currently in the clinical trial phase, will be presented soon. The EndoBarrier Gastrointestinal Liner will be a new sign of hope for the 99% of patients qualified as clinically obese and do not want to go for bariatric surgery. The data will be put forward at the International Federation for Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders (IFSO) 13th World Congress in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

As evidence of Britain’s childhood obesity crisis, a study showed that a quarter of five-year-olds and more than a third of 11-year-olds are overweight. The statistics were derived from a study in which approximately 800,000 children were weighed and measured in the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) conducted by the NHS Information Centre. Officials indicated that the statistics may be on the lower side, since the government’s weighing program in primary schools is voluntary and the most obese children might not have participated.