Teen-LABS, which aims to facilitate coordinated clinical, epidemiological, and behavioral research in the field of adolescent bariatric surgery, recently finished recruitment.
"We’re really testing the hypothesis that bariatric surgery earlier in life may be better than waiting until many more decades have eroded the important metabolic systems in the body," Dr. Inge said, concluding that the future health of obese and severely obese children is of great concern, and that aggressive intervention will be increasingly needed and warranted.
"We need to build upon the evidence base for this, and really describe in detail the risks and benefits to be expected. After gastric bypass, I’m becoming more and more convinced that metabolic defects can dramatically improve. We don’t know exactly why ... but for now, it is fairly clear that this is metabolic surgery," he said, adding that he expects surgical models will provide important clues to mechanisms which can be exploited to expand the armamentarium for fighting pediatric obesity.
Dr. Inge’s research is supported by the National Institutes of Health. He had no other disclosures to report.