One of the benefits of weight loss surgery is of course improved mental and emotional health, so this study from Sweden is certainly welcome news.
The study followed 88 obese adolescents in Sweden between the ages of 13 and 18 who opted to have gastric bypass surgery. Researchers regularly checked in with the teens for a two-year period following their procedures, and it was found that most of the teens felt 'significantly' better when compared to their mental health prior to having weight loss surgery. Most of the teens reported feeling like normal adolescents, and said they faced fewer social limitations.
As important and promising as this news is, weight loss surgery should in no way be considered a mental and emotional cure-all for teenagers struggling with weight issues. The study also found that 20% of the teenagers still showed symptoms of depression, and 13% of the teenagers showed symptoms of severe depression.