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Pharmacotherapy in pediatric obesity: current evidence and landscape

Vibha Singhal1,2, Aluma Chovel Sella1, Sonali Malhotra1,2

  • 1Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School.

Current Opinion in Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Obesity
|November 13, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Childhood obesity is a growing global concern. While lifestyle changes offer modest benefits, antiobesity medications, though underutilized in children, show promise in addressing this critical treatment gap.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Endocrinology
  • Obesity Medicine
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Childhood obesity rates are increasing worldwide.
  • Current lifestyle interventions provide limited effectiveness for established pediatric obesity.
  • Bariatric surgery is effective but rarely used in children, creating a significant treatment gap.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the current landscape of antiobesity pharmacotherapy for children.
  • To discuss available literature on weight loss medications in pediatric populations.
  • To highlight the underutilization of pharmacotherapy in pediatric obesity management.

Main Methods:

  • Review of emerging pediatric data on FDA-approved adult weight loss medications.
  • Analysis of ongoing clinical trials for rare and intractable obesity forms.
  • Examination of efficacy and side effect profiles of pediatric weight loss medications.

Main Results:

  • Emerging pediatric data supports the efficacy of weight loss medications approved for adults.
  • Clinical trials are expanding to include rarer forms of pediatric obesity.
  • Weight loss medications in children demonstrate variable efficacy and similar side effect profiles to adults.

Conclusions:

  • Pharmacotherapy represents an underutilized but crucial tool for severe pediatric obesity.
  • Further research and provider education are essential to bridge the treatment gap.
  • Addressing pediatric obesity requires exploring all available therapeutic options, including pharmacotherapy.
Abstract

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