Young Causasian females are more likely to undergo bariatric surgery to treat obesity, according to a study published in the journal Pediatrics.
The study, of 590 California adolescents who underwent either stomach-stapling or gastric banding surgery between 2005 and 2007, showed that although white patients made up only 28 percent of the group, they accounted for 65 percent of the procedures.
Girls made up 43 percent of group but had 78 percent of the surgeries. And although more than half of overweight teenagers in the study were Hispanic, only 21 percent sought bariatric procedures.
"White adolescent girls disproportionately underwent bariatric surgery," according to the study. "Long-term studies are needed to fully assess the efficacy, safety, and health care costs of these procedures in adolescents."
The study also showed that laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding procedures are on the rise among youngsters, despite lacking Food & Drug Administration approval for use in children.
