LondonResearchers have found that surgical obesity treatment is effective for people who developed the disorder early, at the age of 20, as well as those who developed obesity later in life.
The results, published in the journal Diabetes Care, are based on data from the Swedish Obese Subject (SOS) study.
As for the results, the researchers covered a total of 4,026 adult individuals who had developed obesity. Half of them had undergone bariatric surgery and the other half was a control group.
“We were a little surprised at the results. Since the group that had already developed obesity at the age of 20 had been exposed to obesity and its risks for longer periods, we expected that bariatric surgical treatment in these participants would be less effective in terms of loss of weight and sequelae related to obesity than in the other group. But it wasn’t, “said researcher Johanna Andersson Assarsson of the University of Gothenburg in Sweden.
Each of the groups was divided into three subgroups, based on the body mass index (BMI) of the participants at the age of 20: those of normal weight, those of overweight and those with obesity.
The researchers then investigated whether there was any difference in the effects of bariatric treatment for obesity among those who had developed the disorder before the age of 20, compared to those who developed it later in life.
“By contrast, the group with obesity at the age of 20 lost a little more weight after the operation, and there were no differences in the effects on diabetes or its complications, cardiovascular disease or cancer, compared to individuals who developed obesity later in life, “Assarsson said.
According to the researchers, for many diseases, early treatment is beneficial, but people with early-onset obesity often had their disorder for a long time before considering bariatric surgery.
It has sometimes been speculated that bariatric surgical treatment would be less effective in these individuals due to their longer exposure to the adverse health effects of obesity.
“Here, we show that this is not the case. And we think it is important that this information reaches people who consider bariatric surgery for obesity and also health professionals who treat patients with obesity,” said Assarsson.