Musculoskeletal Pain, Self-reported Physical Function, and Quality of Life in the Teen–Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery (Teen-LABS) Cohort

Treatment Options for Severe Obesity in the Pediatric Population: Current Limitations and Future Opportunities

“…The increase in severe obesity prevalence over the past decade has been observed equally among boys and girls, is more likely to afflict adolescents (aged 12‐19), and has higher occurrence rates among Black and Hispanic individuals . Unlike overweight (BMI ≥ 85th to < 95th percentile) and moderate obesity (≥ 95th percentile to < 120% of the 95th percentile), which are more susceptible to misclassification by BMI, severe obesity in youth is almost always associated with excess adiposity and is accompanied by many serious comorbidities such as prediabetes, type 2 diabetes (T2D), nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), exacerbated cardiovascular risk profiles, musculoskeletal limitation and pain, obstructive sleep apnea, chronic kidney disease, psychosocial problems, and poor quality of life . The heightened risk profile observed in pediatric severe obesity is likely to lead to tremendous long‐term complications, including greater possibility of early mortality from cardiovascular disease (CVD) and T2D and higher health care utilization leading to a substantial economic burden .…”

Changes in Functional Mobility and Musculoskeletal Pain After Bariatric Surgery in Teens With Severe Obesity

“…1–7 In adults, limitations in functional mobility, assessed using walking tests, are associated with lower quality of life, 8 chronic pain, 9 and early mortality. 10,11 Importantly, the degree of adiposity appears to play a pivotal role in exacerbating functional mobility limitations.…”

The seven attributes of the academic surgeon: Critical aspects of the archetype and contributions to the surgical community

“…The other critical factor which led to our success is that we have and continue to support numerous ancillary studies looking at dietary intake, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, gynecologic issues, renal function, sleep apnea, psychologic issues, cardiovascular function, musculoskeletal function, and potential complications of adolescent weight loss surgery such as bone loss. 18 The work of the consortium of pediatric surgeons in TeenLABS, our program at Texas Children's Hospital, and the work of the many collaborators who carry out the ancillary research, serves as an example of surgeons who identified a clinical problem and worked together to solve it. Our initial question has led to numerous other question and answers, and has defined the current state of the art to treat morbidly obese adolescents.…”