A recent February article on Endocrinology Network reports on a study that found weight loss surgery significantly reduces the risks of serious health issues among obese teens, even those in their earlier teens. The article reports that younger teens enjoyed similar benefits to those enjoyed by older teens age 19 and downward; people in this cohort have recently begun to be considered more often as candidates for a procedure such as a sleeve gastrectomy. While weight loss surgery may be more urgent for older people struggling with obesity, younger adults in their twenties and thirties in need of significant weight loss can benefit from the procedure to limit the chances of serious health issues developing over time.

While weight loss surgery for minors remains relatively rare, individuals are never too young to take their wellbeing seriously. For younger adults, the earlier they can achieve a healthier lifestyle, the better. When individuals are able to relieve their body’s systems from being overworked and overstrained, they significantly reduce their risks for developing a long list of devastating illnesses when they get older and can enjoy a healthier and happier youth.

While losing weight through strict diet and exercise is required to defeat severe obesity and some people can manage that for a time, it’s extremely difficult to keep it off in the long run due to the body’s natural survival response when there’s a major caloric deficit. The body reacts to fewer calories as a sign that the threat of starvation is on the horizon. Thus, among other steps, it increases the production of hunger signals to encourage the individual to eat more to prepare for lean times ahead. These constant cravings become increasingly difficult to disregard over time and, unfortunately, the majority of dieters end up regaining the weight they worked so hard to lose.

Weight loss surgery is often the best option for individuals fighting against obesity as it can help patients maintain their new lifestyle without nagging sensations of hunger. When a portion of the stomach is removed during a gastric sleeve procedure, the part of the stomach responsible for producing hunger hormones is also removed. Moreover, with a smaller stomach, only a limited amount of food can be comfortably consumed. The result is a two-pronged approach to reducing the appetite and making long-term weight loss achievable for most people.