America’s Obesity Issues Feed Concerns as Teens go under the Knife

Wednesday 18 July 2012, Amsterdam

The US is struggling to deal with its national obesity problems, as many resort to surgery in order to achieve weight loss, states the new Bariatric Surgery Devices - Global Pipeline Analysis, Competitive Landscape and Market Forecasts to 2018 report.

The new report states that the absence of effective weight loss medicines, and the availability of reimbursement for surgery, is urging overweight patients into choosing to go under the knife.

The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) of 2007-2008, published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in June 2010, claimed that around 34.2% of US adults aged 20 years and over are overweight, while 33.8% are obese, and 5.7% are extremely obese. Surgery is becoming increasingly popular due to the increasing awareness about the risks associated with obesity, and the cost-effectiveness of bariatric surgery as a preventative move, saving patients from diseases associated with obesity for the duration of their lives.

The rapidly rising cases of bariatric surgery among adolescents mean that the market is only set to reach greater heights. Despite the debate surrounding the safety and long-term efficacy of bariatric surgery in adolescents, a study published in The American Surgeon during November 2011 claimed that the mean number of adolescent bariatric procedures performed per year in the US increased from 61.8 during 2002-2006 to 113.3 during 2007-2009.

European countries are seeing a decline in the number of gastric banding procedures being conducted, while in the US such surgeries are on the rise. Gastric banding procedures began to take off in America around a decade later than in Europe, and therefore benefited from a wealth of surgical experience, and modern and efficient devices. US surgeons therefore had a better first experience with the surgery, which had over time become less invasive, less risky, and demanded a shorter hospital stay.

The global bariatric surgery devices market was led by Ethicon Endo-Surgery in 2011 with a share of 24%. This leadership can be attributed to the company’s technological innovation capabilities, diversified global presence, extensive bariatric surgery devices portfolio, and a strong financial performance. Covidien and Allergan followed in second and third, with respective shares of 21% and 16%.

The global bariatric surgery devices market was valued at $1.2 bn in 2011 and is forecast to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 9.7% to reach $2.3 bn in 2018.

This report provides key data, information and analysis on the global bariatric surgery devices market. It gives the market landscape, competitive landscape and market trends information for the bariatric surgery devices market, and provides comprehensive information on the key trends affecting the market, as well as key analytical content. The report also reviews the competitive landscape and technology offerings.

This report was built using data and information sourced from proprietary databases, primary and secondary research, and in-house analysis conducted by a team of industry experts.