Some doctors fear use of weight loss drugs in teens will increase or exacerbate eating disorder cases, adding complexity to treatment.
Sept. 25, 2024 -- As a psychiatrist specializing in eating disorders, Kim Dennis, MD, has seen firsthand the complex relationship between obesity treatment and mental health in adolescents.
Dennis's concerns reflect a growing unease among eating disorder specialists as newer obesity medications, known as GLP-1 drugs, gain traction for adolescent use.found that the number of adolescents prescribed GLP-1s for type 2 diabetes and weight management rose from 8,722 to 60,567 between 2020 and 2023 — a nearly sevenfold increase.
The randomized clinical trial, conducted from 2018 to 2023, looked at 141 adolescents with obesity doing interventions like low-calorie diets or intermittent fasting. Almost half scored as having a risk for an undiagnosed eating disorder. At the end of the intervention, many continued to have symptoms of disordered eating.
"One of the concerns is the extreme reductions in calories that could be induced by in children and adolescents," said Cuda, who has cared for adolescents with eating disorders who are seeking GLP-1s.
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