No medications are currently approved for the treatment of nonmonogenic, nonsyndromic obesity in children younger than 12 years of age. Although the use of liraglutide has been shown to induce weight loss in adults and adolescents with obesity, its safety and efficacy have not been established in children. In this phase 3a trial, which consisted of a 56-week treatment period and a 26-week follow-up period, we randomly assigned children (6 to <12 years of age) with obesity, in a 2:1 ratio, to receive either once-daily subcutaneous liraglutide at a dose of 3.0 mg (or the maximum tolerated dose) or placebo, plus lifestyle interventions. The primary end point was the percentage change in the body-mass index (BMI; the weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters). The confirmatory secondary end points were the percentage change in body weight and a reduction in BMI of at least 5%. A total of 82 participants underwent randomization; 56 were assigned to the liraglutide group and 26 to the placebo group. At week 56, the mean percentage change from baseline in BMI was -5.8% with liraglutide and 1.6% with placebo, representing an estimated difference of -7.4 percentage points (95% confidence interval [CI], -11.6 to -3.2; P<0.001). The mean percentage change in body weight was 1.6% with liraglutide and 10.0% with placebo, representing an estimated difference of -8.4 percentage points (95% CI, -13.4 to -3.3; P = 0.001), and a reduction in BMI of at least 5% occurred in 46% of participants in the liraglutide group and in 9% of participants in the placebo group (adjusted odds ratio, 6.3 [95% CI, 1.4 to 28.8]; P = 0.02). Adverse events occurred in 89% and 88% of participants in the liraglutide and placebo groups, respectively. Gastrointestinal adverse events were more common in the liraglutide group (80% vs. 54%); serious adverse events were reported in 12% and 8% of participants in the liraglutide and placebo groups, respectively. Among children (6 to <12 years of age) with obesity, treatment with liraglutide for 56 weeks plus lifestyle interventions resulted in a greater reduction in BMI than placebo plus lifestyle interventions. (Funded by Novo Nordisk; SCALE Kids ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT04775082.).

The purposes of this study were to characterize the impact of depression and anxiety on the severity of obesity among youth seeking weight management treatment and to determine the extent to which emotional eating mediates the relationship between depression and/or anxiety and degree of obesity. This cross-sectional, retrospective chart review of 102 adolescent patients from a weight management clinic analyzed demographics, body mass index, depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9), and anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale-7) screens and the Child Eating Behavior Questionnaire, Emotional Over-Eating subscale. After adjusting for demographics and emotional eating, the odds of having severe obesity versus obesity were 3.5 times higher for patients with depression compared with those without (odds ratio [OR] = 3.5; 95% CI = 1.1, 11.3; P = .038) and nearly 5 times higher for those with anxiety (OR = 4.9; CI = 1.2, 20.9; P = .030). Emotional eating, however, was not a mediator between depression/anxiety and degree of adiposity.

Background. Medications for use as an adjunct to lifestyle modification therapy (LSM) for severe adolescent obesity are limited. Topiramate results in weight reduction in adults with obesity, but has not been studied in adolescents. Objective. To examine the effect of topiramate plus LSM on body mass index (BMI) reduction in adolescents with severe obesity. Methods. Data for this retrospective chart review were collected from patients attending a pediatric weight management program who were treated with LSM plus topiramate for 3 months minimum. Mean BMI percent change from baseline was evaluated using t-tests. Results. Twenty-eight patients (mean age 15.2 ± 2.5 years, mean baseline BMI 46.2 ± 10.3 kg/m²) were identified for inclusion. The 6-month percent change in BMI was −4.9, 95% confidence interval (−7.1, −2.8), P < .001. Conclusions. Topiramate with concurrent LSM was associated with clinically meaningful BMI reduction in adolescents with severe obesity. Randomized controlled clinical trials examining efficacy and safety of topiramate for severe obesity in adolescents are needed.

Objective: To assess the safety and efficacy of short‐term meal replacement therapy followed by topiramate for body mass index (BMI) reduction in adolescents with severe obesity.Methods: Adolescents (ages 12–18 years) with severe obesity (BMI ≥1.2 times the 95th percentile or BMI ≥35 kg/m²) were recruited for this double‐blind, randomized, placebo‐controlled trial. Participants completed 4 weeks of meal replacement therapy followed by randomization (1:1) to either 24 weeks of topiramate 75 mg/day or placebo. Mean changes were compared between groups.Results: Thirty adolescents (mean age 15.2 ± 1.7 years, mean BMI 40.3 ± 4.6 kg/m²) completed the meal replacement phase and were randomized; 21 completed the study. The difference in mean percent change in BMI between the topiramate and placebo groups was not significant (−1.9%; 95% CI: −5.2% to +1.5%; P = 0.291). Significant improvements in visceral fat and very‐low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol were observed in the topiramate compared with the placebo group. There were no concerning changes in neurocognitive function or bone health.Conclusions: In this pilot study, 4 weeks of meal replacement therapy followed by 24 weeks of low‐dose topiramate compared with meal replacement therapy alone did not result in significant BMI reduction for adolescents with severe obesity.