Legal and Ethical Considerations of Bariatric Surgery in Children and Adolescents

Abstract

Bariatric surgery is an intense obesity treatment that raises several legal and ethical issues for the pediatric population. It is important for nurses to be knowledgeable about these issues because of the huge prevalence of obesity in the general population so that nurses can better understand and educate others about obesity issues. It is important for nurses to implement preventive measures to combat obesity and to address the needs of those children and adolescents who are already obese and help them explore their treatment options and lifestyle changes. This paper will examine the topic of overweight and obesity in the pediatric population and the associated legal and ethical issues of bariatric surgery.