The news: Weight loss drug prescribing for children and teens increased significantly after the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommended the medications’ use, per a new Harvard study.
The study examined more than 310,000 electronic health records of patients ages 8-17, funded by health data company Truveta.
Zooming in: In early 2023, the AAP published guidelines recommending early intervention for obesity treatment for children and adolescents which included intensive lifestyle intervention and Rx prescriptions.
- The likelihood of Rx used by the young patients increased by 65% immediately after the AAP guidelines were issued and continued to rise 5% monthly.
- The use of nutrition counseling or referrals did not increase initially, but has seen a small increase monthly since then, the study reported.