Gastroesophageal Reflux After Sleeve Gastrectomy

Obesity Epidemic in the United States In a recent Research Letter published in JAMA, Hales and colleagues1 describe the trends based on National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data between 2007 and 2016 of obesity and severe obesity in the United States. Their results showed that although the prevalence did not increase significantly among youth (2-19 years old, from 16.8% to 19.8%), it escalated among adults (20 years or older). Specifically, the prevalence increased from 33.7% to 39.6%, particularly among women and among individuals 40 years or older. This is a particularly worrisome trend because obesity is associated with comorbid conditions, such as diabetes and hypertension, and with decreased life expectancy. Those data suggest that the problem is getting worse and that lifestyle changes such as dieting and exercising among individuals with obesity represent the exception rather than the rule. Therefore, until an effective pharmacologic treatment is available, bariatric surgery is the only viable treatment for many.