By now, you have probably seen some of the many reports in the media about how childhood obesity has become a health crisis in the last three decades. The statistics bear evidence to that fact: obesity in children between the ages of 6 and 11 has more than doubled, while in adolescents between the ages of 12 and 19, it has quadrupled.
Children with obesity are more likely to grow up to be obese as adults and are more likely develop serious medical conditions than their counterparts who are not overweight.
Beyond worrying about which college they might attend, what career path they should choose and all the other important life changes that come with being a teenager, obese adolescents live with the added stress of contemplating a future that could include type 2 diabetes, heart disease or cancer.
Thankfully, bariatric surgery might now be an option to help adolescents in Westchester and surrounding areas achieve a healthier weight and a more positive outlook.