According to a new study, published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Australian researchers have supported the use of gastric band weight-loss surgery for teenagers who are excessively overweight.

Despite the fact that the researchers, led by Centre for Obesity Research and Education of the Monash University, found that the gastric band procedure can “dramatically” help overweight teenagers shed almost 80 percent of their excess fat; critics have expressed apprehensions about the risks involved in the surgery, and have advised it to be used only as a last resort.

The findings of the government-funded study, which observed 25 obese teenagers on a supervised weight-loss regime and 25 given gastric banding procedure, revealed that teenagers went for the surgery showed much better results vis-à-vis their counterparts on a strict diet and exercise regime.

Specifically speaking, during the two-year observation period, the researchers found that teenagers who underwent the gastric-banding procedure lost nearly 79 percent of their excess weight on an average; those following the rigorous lifestyle lost merely 13 percent.

Commenting on the findings of the study, lead author Professor Paul O'Brien said: “While this study confirms that some adolescents can achieve substantial weight loss and health improvements through diet and exercise, gastric banding should be considered for those severely obese adolescents who find primary weight loss methods unsuccessful.”