Clinical review: Guide to pharmacological management in pediatric obesity medicine

Diagnostic challenge: A pediatric patient with severe obesity and complications of imminent death

“…The patient meets clinical criteria to initiate AOM: ≥95th BMI percentile plus the presence of weight-related medical condition or ≥120th of the 95th BMI percentile [ 26 ] and as per current pediatric guidelines and recommendations [ 9 , 27 ].…”

Special considerations for the child with obesity: An Obesity Medicine Association (OMA) clinical practice statement (CPS) 2024

“…The use of AOM in adults and adolescents is well established [ 30 , 32 , 51 , 53 , 84 , 85 ]. Clinicians caring for children <12 years are faced with the clinical question of waiting until the child reaches age 12 or using AOM off label for age.…”

“…To help guide treatment decisions, the clinician can review resources and recommendations from organizations representing children regarding obesity treatment, including AAP Clinical Practice Guideline [ 30 ], OMA Pediatric Clinical Practice Statements on advanced obesity therapies and adiposity related complications [ 32 , 118 , 119 ], OMA pediatric obesity pharmacotherapy review [ 84 ], the FDA [ 33 ] as well as the European Medicines Agency [ 55 , 120 ]. Watching a young child with deteriorating weight status should prompt a discussion of intervention with the family [ 30 , 32 ].…”

Interventions for Children and Adolescents With High Body Mass Index—Implementing the Recommendations in Clinical Practice

“…A detailed assessment and longitudinal practitioner-patient care will help patients and families make informed decisions about whether and when to initiate AOM, which we now know is associated with improved weight loss compared with ILT alone. Health care practitioners can turn to organizations, like the Obesity Medicine Association, to access clinical practice guidelines on the use of AOMs in the pediatric population for further direction on choice of agent, dosing, monitoring parameters, and safety information …”

“…Health care practitioners can turn to organizations, like the Obesity Medicine Association, to access clinical practice guidelines on the use of AOMs in the pediatric population for further direction on choice of agent, dosing, monitoring parameters, and safety information. 13 The time to prevent and intervene on childhood obesity is now, and the need to start with ILT is clear. However, it is critical to continue to optimize interventions for each patient.…”