Common surgery for children may increase risks of gaining weight

New research has linked children having a tonsillectomy with an increased risk of being overweight.

In the United States, children under the age of 15 years old experience at least 530,000 tonsillectomies. For children, a tonsillectomy is the most common surgery.

According to the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, 4 out of 5 children receive a similar surgery because of sleeping issues.

A new study explains that nearly 50 percent of a sample of 795 children under the age of 18 years old had a tonsillectomy or similar surgery due to trouble sleeping.

When analyzing various studies about how tonsillectomies affect the weight of children following a surgery, researchers found that on average, body mass index increased nearly 3 percent.

This study should help parents and health officials develop additional plans for children, especially those who require a surgery like this for medical reasons.

Some suggest providing additional information about diet and lifestyle to parents and children about to undergo a tonsillectomy.

One theory about why children gain weight following a throat surgery is that prior to the surgery, children may have eaten less due to pain when swallowing.

Additionally, some parents may want to feed ailing children more than normal.