Tonsil Removal May Cause Weight Gain… (or maybe not)

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Wednesday, February 02, 2011 1:55 pm Email this article
"[A]n association between tonsillectomy and greater-than-expected weight gain was seen, regardless of whether children were normal weight or overweight prior to surgery," according to a study appearing in the Feb 2011 issue of reportOtolaryngology -- Head and Neck Surgery as noted in an article on WebMD. Is This Contributing to Childhood Obesity?

The authors of the study think it might be

“While the new research does not prove a direct link between the surgery and weight gain, it does raise questions about whether tonsillectomy may be contributing in some small way to the dramatic rise in childhood obesity, says pediatric ear, nose, and throat specialist Anita Jeyakumar, MD, of Saint Louis University, who led the study,” the reportOtolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery as noted in an article on WebMD article notes.

 

Others are Questioning The Link

aAssociate Professor, Julie Wei, MD questions the link

However, others are questioning the link.

“Pediatric otolaryngologist Julie Wei, MD, says parents should not be overly alarmed by the findings.”

“Wei is an associate professor at the University of Kansas School of Medicine in Kansas City.”

“‘There is a big difference between association and cause,’ Wei tells WebMD. ‘It is good that these researchers have raised the question, but we certainly can’t say from this study that this surgery contributes to obesity.’”

“Wei points out that virtually an entire generation of children born prior to World War II had their tonsils removed to prevent rheumatic fever, which often proved fatal before the era of antibiotics.”

“‘That generation certainly did not become obese,’ she says.”

REFERENCE

Jeyakumar, A. Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery. 2011 Feb as referenced in the article Boyles S. Tonsil removal may lead to weight gain: Study finds greater than expected weight gain in kids after tonsillectomy. WebMDcom. 2011 Feb 1, http://children.webmd.com/news/20110201/tonsil-removal-may-lead-weight-gain.

AUTHOR’S CONTACT INFORMATION

Anita Jeyakumar, MD
Department of Otolaryngology
Washington University
School of Medicine
St Louis, MO 63130, USA
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Articles on the same subject can be found here:

• Childhood Obesity

• Tonsils