Which condition is an indication for bariatric surgery in adolescents?

• A. Hair color change
• B. Chronic headaches
• C. Asthma
• D. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM)

Answer: (D)

Indications for bariatric surgery in adolescents come from treating severe obesity when there are metabolic or health problems that aren’t likely to improve enough with lifestyle changes or medications alone. Type 2 diabetes mellitus in an adolescent with obesity is a strong indicator because surgery can produce significant weight loss and often leads to marked, sometimes lasting, improvements or remission in blood sugar control. This potential for metabolic improvement is what makes it the best fit among the options.

Other possibilities given—like hair color change—don’t relate to obesity treatment or surgical indications. Chronic headaches and asthma can be associated with obesity, but they are not by themselves accepted indications for bariatric surgery; they may improve with weight loss, but they don’t establish a clear, surgical necessity in the way T2DM does. Bariatric surgery in teens typically requires a comprehensive, multidisciplinary evaluation, appropriate BMI criteria, and readiness for long-term follow-up.