Obesity surgery does not lead to long term alleviation of mental health problems in teens, study finds

Adolescents who have bariatric surgery continue to experience mental health problems five years after surgery despite substantial weight loss, a study has found.1

The authors of a study published in the Lancet Child and Adolescent Health said that, while surgery can improve many aspects of health, their results suggested that alleviation of mental health problems “should not be expected.”

The research team, from Sweden, used records of psychiatric drug prescriptions and specialist care for mental health disorders in combination with self-reported data to assess the long term impact of weight loss surgery in 161 adolescents aged 13-18.

At five year follow-up, despite small improvements in self-esteem and moderate improvements in binge eating, adolescents who had had surgery did not see …