Obesity surgery soars among US teens

The number of American children having obesity surgery has trebled in recent years, surging at a pace that could mean more than 1,000 such operations this year, research suggests.

While the procedure is still far more common in adults, it appears to be slightly less risky in teenagers, according to an analysis of data on 12- to 19-year-olds who had obesity surgery from 1996 to 2003.