Research has linked tonsillectomy to accelerated weight gain

Tonsillectomy with or without adenoidectomy significantly increased the odds of being overweight and obese at 8 years by 61% and 136%, respectively. Adenoidectomy alone did not increase the risk of becoming overweight, but it did increase the risk of obesity by 94%. Overweight status at 2 years of age was not linked to subsequent tonsillectomy, suggesting that the operation led to overweight and obesity and not vice-versa.


Explaining the increased risk"Longitudinal data on weight and height in the years before and after surgery," the authors note, "suggest that (adeno) tonsillectomy forms a turning point between a period of growth faltering and a period of catch-up growth," which may explain the increased risk of becoming overweight and explain the increased risk of becoming overweight after the operation.

Read more on: Health24