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In this issue of Pediatrics, Inge et al1 report the conclusions of a consensus conference of pediatricians and pediatric surgeons concerned with the epidemic of childhood obesity in this country. The intent of the conference was to outline an approach for the evaluation of the morbidly obese adolescent and define candidates for bariatric surgical procedures. The magnitude of this “epidemic” is well defined, with 15% to 20% of children and adolescents in the United States now meeting criteria for obesity, with enormous consequences to their own personal health and quality of life and our health care system itself. An estimated 75% of these obese adolescents will continue to be so categorized in adulthood. This problem is simply too great for physicians for children to fail to respond with suggestions for the appropriate evaluation and therapy of these unfortunate youngsters. The results of bariatric surgery in adult patients would suggest that surgery will play a significant role in the treatment of some of these adolescents.
Inge et al proposed what I believe to be an appropriate approach to the evaluation of these patients and focused …
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