Brief Article
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World J Diabetes. Oct 15, 2013; 4(5): 202-209
Published online Oct 15, 2013. doi: 10.4239/wjd.v4.i5.202
Effect of ethnicity on weight loss among adolescents 1 year after bariatric surgery
Sarah E Messiah, Gabriela Lopez-Mitnik, Deborah Winegar, Bintu Sherif, Kristopher L Arheart, Kirk W Reichard, Marc P Michalsky, Steven E Lipshultz, Tracie L Miller, Alan S Livingstone, Nestor de la Cruz-Muñoz
Sarah E Messiah, Steven E Lipshultz, Tracie L Miller, Division of Pediatric Clinical Research, Department of Pediatrics, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami Leonard M Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33101, United States
Gabriela Lopez-Mitnik, Kristopher L Arheart, Division of Pediatric Clinical Research, Department of Pediatrics, Department of Public Health Sciences, Division of Biostatistics, University of Miami Leonard M Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33101, United States
Deborah Winegar, Bintu Sherif, Surgical Review Corporation, Raleigh, NC 27609, United States
Kirk W Reichard, Department of Surgery, Nemours Alfred I. DuPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, DE 19803, United States
Marc P Michalsky, Department of Pediatric Surgery Nationwide Children's Hospital The Ohio State University, College of Medicine, Columbus, OH 43235, United States
Alan S Livingstone, Nestor de la Cruz-Muñoz, Department of Surgery, University of Miami Leonard M Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33101, United States
Author contributions: Messiah SE, Winegar D, Reichard KW, Michalsky MP and de la Cruz-Muñoz N were responsible for the concept and design of the study; all authors analyzed and interpreted the data, reviewed, wrote, or revised the report for critical content, and approved the final version of the report.
Supported by National Institutes of Health Grant K01 DA 026993 (Messiah SE)
Correspondence to: Sarah E Messiah, PhD, MPH, Division of Pediatric Clinical Research, Department of Pediatrics, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami Leonard M Miller School of Medicine, Batchelor Children’s Research Institute, Room 541, 580 NW 10th Avenue (D820), Miami, FL 33101, United states. smessiah@med.miami.edu
Telephone: +1-305-2431943 Fax: +1-305-2438475
Received: July 22, 2013
Revised: August 26, 2013
Accepted: September 14, 2013
Published online: October 15, 2013
Core Tip

Core tip: Bariatric surgery is one of the few effective treatments for severe obesity. Among adults, outcomes of bariatric surgery differ by ethnicity. We tested whether this relationship is also true among adolescents. Outcome measures included changes in anthropometric measurements (weight and body mass index) from baseline (n = 827) to 1 year after surgery. Our results support the conclusion that bariatric surgery can substantially reduce weight in severely obese adolescents for at least 1 year, irrespective of their race or ethnicity. Ethnicity is a reasonable and safe treatment for all severely obese adolescents with the appropriate indications.