Obesity In Teens – A New Study To Assess The Advisability Of Bariatric Surgery

The number of bariatric surgeries performed for obesity in teens has risen markedly in recent years but still represents only a fraction of the total number of weight loss surgeries carried out each year.

While surgeons are increasingly coming to the conclusion that many obese teenagers will ultimately require surgery, and that this is perhaps best performed sooner rather than later, there are nonetheless concerns about the safety of bariatric surgery in adolescents and about the longer-term effects of performing surgery at such an early age.

In 2003 a study known as LABS (Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery) was launched to look at the benefits and risks of bariatric surgery in extremely obese adults and, since its inception, some 4,000 patients have been enrolled in a series of both short-term and long-term studies. No results have yet been released as the study is still ongoing and it is expected to continue through 2007 and into 2008.

As an extension of this study a new study has now been launched, known as Teen-LABS, which will examine the benefits in risks of bariatric surgery in teenagers between the ages of 14 and 19. The study may also look at younger patients if they are considered to meet the strict criteria laid down for the study.

Teen-LABS will study adolescent patients being treated at hospitals in Birmingham, Cincinnati, Houston and Pittsburgh and is expected to enroll a total of about 200 patients over the next 5 years.

The aim of the study will be to assess the benefits and risks by comparing the data collected from the 200 teenagers in the study group with that of 200 adult bariatric patients who have suffered obesity since their teen years. In other words, it will compare the outcome of carrying out surgery in the teenage years to that of waiting until patients reach maturity before performing surgery.

The study will look at a very wide variety of data collected pre-operatively and in the two years following surgery including not simply weight but also such things as body fat, indications of diabetes, episodes of sleep apnea, depression, eating habits, nutrition, the quality of life and much more.

Although we will clearly have to wait some time before the results of the study are published and clinical decisions can be made based upon them, this is nevertheless a step in the right direction in tackling a growing problem.

Paleo diet foods list, Paleo diet Guidelines

Before there were packaged goods, processed foods, GMOs and an ongoing debate between organic or not, there was dirt, seeds, water and roaming animals. It may be hard to consider now, but the dawn of man produced hunters and gatherers and humans had to get their own food – not by heading to the supermarket.

There were no sprays to kill insects, no chemicals or genes added or modified. No extra-large tomatoes or vibrant yellow bananas. Food was simple. It was either found, picked or hunted. And although there weren’t doctors or research scientists to confirm the benefits of such eating, it seems that when it comes to dietary habits, eating like our ancestors has some merit.

Diets come and diets go, but one in particular seems to have staying power and for good reasons as well. It’s based on eating similar to that of prehistoric man and it’s being touted as one of the best way to eat. It’s called the Paleo diet.

What is the Paleo diet?
The Paleo diet was created by Loren Cordain, a now-famous author, speaker and professor of health and exercise science at Colorado State University, who specializes in disease and diet. The Paleo diet itself reflects food items and methods of eating similar to our Stone Age ancestors – that’s right, this diet is framed around eating like cavemen. Through scientific research and peer-reviewed studies, Cordain has uncovered many health benefits to eating the Stone Age way.

There are seven premise on which the Paleo diet guidelines are based:

High protein
Low carbohydrates and low glycemic index
High fiber
Moderate to high fat intake – monosaturated and polysaturated fats with omega-3s and 6s

High potassium, low sodium
Net dietary alkaline balances dietary acid – some foods produce acid (meat) and others are alkaline (fruits and vegetables). Eating a balance of both alkaline and acid foods can have positive health effects.

High intake of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and plant phytochemicals.

Is Paleo diet a meat diet?

The paleo diet is a regime that helps us eat the freshest, healthiest and nutrient-filled food there is. The paleo diet is based on a balanced diet. The typical Paleo recipes includes

meat of grass-fed cows,
Poultry, seafood, and meat,
Fresh and organic vegetables and fruits of all colors,
Complex carbohydrates coming from tubers and fruits such as sweet potato (potato / sweet potato), potato and banana
Healthy fats such as coconut oil, avocado, olive oil and animal fat.
Based not only on what our ancestors ate that suffered from fewer chronic diseases than we, despite having no access to modern medicine,

Many people see the list of foods removed from the paleo diet and remove them from the diet without adding new things. When they remove processed foods and cereals from their diets, often only meat, eggs, and bacon remain. But just as important as eliminated foods (processed foods, sugar, cereals and in some cases dairy and vegetables) are the foods we add to our diets.

A typical paleo diet recipes is half veggies (carrot, broccoli, zucchini, and spinach) and a quarter of protein (often meat or seafood) and a quarter of carbohydrates such as sweet potatoes. A “paleo recipes” diet can be balanced or not, depending on what you put on your plate – just like any other diet. It is essential to note that every person has different body needs.

In the paleo recipes diet, there is also an emphasis on the quality of the food consumed – we try to avoid genetically modified organisms, eat organic vegetables when possible and meat/poultry/seafood that was fed properly, without hormones or inadequate food for their species. We try to eat “all the animal products” because we know that there are essential nutrients and amino acids in the parts of the animal that we cannot find in the most common cuts. Eating “booze” such as liver, paws, cola, bone broth, and any other part of the animal helps to maintain a balanced diet.

The paleo diet recipes does not restrict the consumption of fat or cholesterol. Contrary to what we have been taught, fat does not make us fat (consumed in moderation). Fat is essential to assimilate some vitamins (A, D, E, and K) that are necessary for the functioning of our body. Without fat, those vitamins cannot enter our body to do their job. Every cell in our body needs fat to function.

An old article in Time Magazine admits that consumption of saturated fat has no proven link to increased risk of heart problems, and high consumption of sugar and carbohydrates did. In fact, our use of cholesterol in food has nominal influence on the level of cholesterol in our blood. There is no reason to be afraid of eating fat. A paleo diet recipes with enough protein and fat often helps people to lose weight because they are foods that make us feel satiated and as a consequence, we eat less. In fact, if your goal is to lose weight, a paleo diet can be the key to your progress.