The website "Prevention of obesity in children and adolescents" of the Federal Institute of Public Health can be found via the following link: Preventing obesity - BIÖG: Preventing obesity.
The website "Eating and drinking well - the DGE recommendations" of the German Nutrition Society can be found under the following link: Eating and drinking well - the DGE recommendations | DGE
The website "Tips for parents on the subject of overweight in children" of the German Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine can be found under the following link: Parent information on overweight - German Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine e.V.
The website "Tips for parents on healthy eating for children" from the German Society of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine can be found at the following link: Healthy food for my child - German Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine e.V.
The website "Definition of overweight and obesity in children, adolescents and adults" of the German Obesity Society (Deutsche Adipositas Gesellschaft e.V.) can be found under the following link: Definition of obesity - Obesity Society
According to Prof. Dr. med. Dieter Birk, Medical Director at the Clinic for General and Visceral Surgery at Bietigheim-Vaihingen Hospital, bariatric surgery is considered for extremely overweight adolescents with relevant secondary diseases if conservative treatments have not been successful. Surgery can lead to significant weight loss and improvement in metabolic health, but there are also risks and must be carefully considered.
Indications:
Adolescents with BMI ≥ 40 kg/m² (or BMI > 99.5th percentile) and comorbidities (e.g. diabetes, sleep apnea) may be considered for surgery.
Prerequisites:
Prerequisites are that conservative therapies (diet, exercise) have been exhausted and there are no acute mental illnesses.
Surgical procedures:
Gastric bypass (Roux-en-Y) and sleeve gastrectomy, which is a permanent reduction in the size of the stomach, are possible procedures. Endoscopic procedures are currently being scientifically investigated for their long-term prospects of success.
Risks:
Fortunately, complications of the operation are very rare, but the indication must be carefully considered. Lifelong aftercare is necessary.
Long-term studies:
There are studies that show that bariatric surgery in adolescents leads to long-term weight loss and improvement in metabolic health, thus also normalizing life expectancy, which is significantly shortened in the case of pronounced obesity.
Mental health:
Good mental health and the ability to provide long-term aftercare are crucial.
Centers:
Obesity centers with experience in treating adolescents are recommended.
Funding:
Health insurance companies usually cover the cost of surgery if the requirements are met.
Contact details:
Prof. Dr. med. Dieter Birk
Medical Director of the Clinic for General and Visceral Surgery
Krankenhaus Bietigheim
Academic teaching hospital of the University of Heidelberg
Riedstr. 12
74321 Bietigheim
Tel: 07142-79-55100
Fax: 07142-79-55108
www.krankenhaus-bietigheim.de
