Pharmacologic Weight Management in the Era of Adolescent Obesity

Vandana Raman; Anshu Gupta; Ambika P Ashraf; Emily Breidbart; Evgenia Gourgari; Manmohan Kamboj; Brenda Kohn; Sowmya Krishnan; Amit Lahoti; Kristal Matlock; Shilpa Mehta; Sejal Mistry; Ryan Miller; Laura Page; Danielle Reynolds; Joan C Han

doi:10.1210/clinem/dgac418

Pharmacologic Weight Management in the Era of Adolescent Obesity

J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2022 Sep 28;107(10):2716-2728. doi: 10.1210/clinem/dgac418.

Authors

Vandana Raman¹, Anshu Gupta², Ambika P Ashraf³, Emily Breidbart⁴, Evgenia Gourgari⁵, Manmohan Kamboj⁶, Brenda Kohn⁴, Sowmya Krishnan⁷, Amit Lahoti⁸, Kristal Matlock⁹, Shilpa Mehta¹⁰, Sejal Mistry¹¹, Ryan Miller¹², Laura Page¹³, Danielle Reynolds¹⁴, Joan C Han¹⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84113, USA.
² Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Richmond at Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia 23219, USA.
³ Division of Pediatric Endocrinology & Diabetes, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, 35233, USA.
⁴ Department of Pediatrics, Division Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York 10016, USA.
⁵ Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia 20007, USA.
⁶ Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Nationwide Children's Hospital at The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43205, USA.
⁷ Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73104, USA.
⁸ Department of Pediatrics, University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center, Le Bonheur Children's Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee 38163, USA.
⁹ Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina 29425, USA.
¹⁰ Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York 10595, USA.
¹¹ Department of Biomedical Informatics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84108, USA.
¹² Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland School of Medicine , Baltimore, Maryland 21093, USA.
¹³ Department of Pediatrics, Division of Endocrinology, Department of Pediatrics, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA.
¹⁴ Diabetes and Endocrinology Center, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida 33620, USA.
¹⁵ Division of Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes, Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029, USA.

PMID: 35932277
DOI: 10.1210/clinem/dgac418

Abstract

Context: Pediatric obesity is a serious health problem in the United States. While lifestyle modification therapy with dietary changes and increased physical activity are integral for the prevention and treatment of mild to moderate obesity in youth, only a modest effect on sustained weight reduction is observed in children and young adults with severe obesity. This underscores the need for additional evidence-based interventions for children and adolescents with severe obesity, including pharmacotherapy, before considering invasive procedures such as bariatric surgery.

Evidence acquisition: This publication focuses on recent advances in pharmacotherapy of obesity with an emphasis on medications approved for common and rarer monogenic forms of pediatric obesity.

Evidence synthesis: We review medications currently available in the United States, both those approved for weight reduction in children and "off-label" medications that have a broad safety margin.

Conclusion: It is intended that this review will provide guidance for practicing clinicians and will encourage future exploration for successful pharmacotherapy and other interventions for obesity in youth.

Keywords: obesity; pediatrics; pharmacotherapy.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Anti-Obesity Agents* / therapeutic use
Bariatric Surgery*
Child
Humans
Obesity, Morbid*
Pediatric Obesity* / drug therapy
United States
Weight Loss

Substances

Anti-Obesity Agents