Problems with alcohol increase after weight-loss surgery in adolescence: Research

The first study to demonstrate long-term alcohol consumption and associated problems in this cohort found that youth who underwent metabolic and bariatric surgery as teenagers are more likely to drink alcohol. After eight years, researchers discovered that over half of the study participants had alcohol use disorders, signs of alcohol-related damage, or issues. Results were released in the Annals of Surgery publication. The multicenter study included 217 participants (aged 13-19 years) who reported alcohol use before metabolic and bariatric surgery and annually following surgery for up to eight years. During the postoperative period, Dr Inge and colleagues found an eight-fold increase in potentially hazardous drinking, a five-fold increase in symptoms of alcohol-related harm and a 13-fold increase in alcohol-related problems.