An expert has said there is “growing evidence” that weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic could be effective in treating severely obese teenagers.
Professor Louise Baur, president of the World Obesity Federation, said the drug acts “exactly the same” in younger patients as it does in adults and “may be justified” in extreme cases for children even under 12.
Professor Baur is also a pediatric obesity specialist and professor of pediatrics at the University of Sydney in Australia.
Addressing the International Congress on Obesity in Sao Paulo, Brazil, he said: ‘Obesity among the youngest in our society is becoming more common.
“The use of next-generation obesity management medications could present a less invasive option for adolescents with more severe obesity.”
Professor Louise Baur suggested that weight loss drugs such as Ozempic could treat obese teenagers in the same way they are given to adults.
The head of the World Obesity Federation said the drug “may be justified” in extreme cases, including in children under 12.
Professor Baur added that at all ages, “obesity is not a disease that requires acute care and that once treated is cured forever,” adding that any use of weight loss medications must be combined with changes in lifestyle. life.
The emergence of drugs such as Wegovy and Ozempic has sparked a wave of interest as the medical industry looks at their effectiveness in promoting weight loss, but also their other side effects, both positive and negative.
He continued: ‘Evidence from several recent trials shows that these new drugs, such as semaglutide, act in exactly the same way in adolescents as they do in adults, with a similar safety profile.
“One of the ways semaglutide works is by acting on the appetite centers of the brain, promoting a feeling of satiety, reducing hunger, and encouraging a decrease in food consumption.”
Semaglutide, sold under the brand names Wegovy, Ozempic, and Rybelsus, is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonist, a family of medications that help control blood sugar.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) recommends Wegovy to help obese adults lose weight on the NHS.
Last year, NHS England revealed that hospital admissions of obese young people under 17 had tripled in the previous decade, rising from 3,370 in 2011/12 to 9,431 in 2021/22.
Globally, obesity rates among adolescents have quadrupled since 1990, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Figures published in March showed that in 2022 there were more than 390 million overweight young people aged between five and 19, including 160 million classified as obese.
Professor Baur added: “There is a growing evidence base for some medications for the management of obesity in adolescents; however, there is still no evidence for their use in children under 12 years of age, but their use may be justified in those younger children with more severe obesity.
However, he cautioned that weight loss medications should be combined with lifestyle changes “in all cases.”
“It is clear from our experience with adults that long-term use is most likely necessary, but more evidence is needed,” he said.
‘More evidence is also needed on the use of these medications in adolescents as maintenance therapy, pre-surgical treatment, post-surgical treatment, combination therapy, and the use of medications with other obesity therapies.
“However, as we have discovered for adults, the cost and availability of these medications is a major barrier in all countries.”