Pediatric group says some obese kids should get surgery

Even some severely obese preteens should be considered for weight loss surgery, according to new recommendations. The guidance, issued Sunday by the American Academy of Pediatrics, is based on a review of medical evidence, including several studies showing that surgery in teens can result in marked weight loss lasting at least several years, with few complications. While most of those studies involved teens, one included children younger than 12 and found no ill effects on growth, the policy says.