Some experts say the advice should include the prescription of weight-loss drugs when warranted.
With obesity continuing to loom as a major public health threat, a leading panel of independent U.S. health experts released recommendations Tuesday urging doctors to refer obese children and teens to programs that can provide guidance on healthy eating, safe exercising and understanding food labels.
Some physicians and obesity experts laud the efforts to address the rising crisis, but others say the task force should also consider medication interventions, including the use of a semaglutide drug, the increasingly popular class of weight-loss medications. The“Having the option of medication in the appropriate clinical scenario is very important,” said Susma Vaidya, an associate medical director at the IDEAL Clinic, the weight-loss program at Children’s National Hospital in D.C.
“We don’t have long-term data on weight-loss drugs, and I get that it is a concern, but we do have long-term data on the outcomes associated with obesity, and we know that individuals with obesity are at risk for certain comorbidities,” Vaidya said.have a BMI in the 95th percentile or higher, according to standards from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The task force said it did not include weight-loss drugs in its recommendations because the drugs have not been studied sufficiently in adolescents. It emphasizes the importance of conducting additional research before recommending that medications be incorporated into treatment plans, according to John M. Ruiz, a U.S. Preventive Services Task Force member.
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