For most U.S. parents seeking help for their obese children, the most widely supported medications are not available, and they are not the most popular drugs Wego.
Leading medical groups recommend intensive behavioral counseling – 26 hours over a year – to teach children and their families practical ways to eat healthy and be more active.
But this program is not widely available, and the waiting list can be several months. According to interviews with more than a dozen doctors and parents, it is often not covered by health insurance and requires a time commitment that is difficult for many families.
As a result, less than 1 percent of the nearly 15 million obese US children receive such treatment, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told Reuters. Doctors involved in the case told Reuters that efforts by the CDC and others to get insurance were halted.
“The environment for this program has never been better, and we don’t see any movement to improve it,” said Dr. Joseph Skelton, MD, professor of pediatrics and obesity medicine specialist at Wake Forest University School of Medicine.
The prevalence of obesity among US children has risen from 5 percent in 1980 to 20 percent today.
Novo Nordisk’s Wego is approved for adults in 2021 and teenagers in late 2022, offering the most effective detoxification method for the first time. Novo still can’t keep up with demand for the drug among adults, with at least 25,000 first-time prescriptions being handed out each week.
A smaller number but more families are seeking drugs for teenagers, Reuters found in February. Many doctors and parents are concerned about the lack of information about whether Wegovin can affect children’s development or pose long-term risks.
Change behavior
Ruth Medina of Holyoke, Mass., wanted to see if changing family habits, instead of taking medication, could help her 15-year-old daughter, Jelainie, gain 200 pounds this year. She said she has a family history of type 2 diabetes, a condition made worse by being overweight.
“I didn’t want to go down that road. I was afraid of that moment,” Medina said.
Jelainie’s pediatrician recommends the healthy weight program at Holyoke Health Center, where children and their parents meet with nutritionists and public health experts to set individual goals, as well as cooking, nutrition labeling and other lifestyle changes.
Dr. Winnie Biggs, who oversees the program, said families must wait four months to register. Medina and her daughter’s participation is partially covered by the state’s Medicaid health insurance program, Biggs said.
In the family’s first session this month, Jelainie chopped cabbage, carrots and other vegetables to prepare paella with her teacher. Mother and daughter said they enjoyed the meal and took the leftovers with them.
Jelainie is a bit tired. He started walking more, playing tennis, and eating more fruits and vegetables. His mother still worries about the lure of a fast food restaurant close to home.
“We went through a lot of testing,” Medina said. “I want to do everything I can to get to a healthy weight.”
Red light, green light
The US Preventive Services Task Force, an influential panel of US federal experts, says obese teenagers are better off sticking to lifestyle changes, according to published draft recommendations. December
The American Academy of Pediatrics says obesity treatment should be offered to children 12 and older, but only as “health behavior and lifestyle aids”.
The task force reviewed clinical trials involving intensive behavioral programs for children and found that children lost an average of 5.7 pounds.
But Vego and similar drugs have helped people lose 15 pounds or more in clinical trials. This record and the lack of insurance coverage for counseling will convince more families to try treatment in the future.
Some doctors say that the more widespread use of Wegowi by young people will be more important for children to learn long-term healthy eating habits. They worry that relying solely on medicine can lead to malnutrition or eating disorders.
“Many of us believe that behavioral counseling along with medication makes sense,” says Dr. Thomas Robinson, MD, director of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention at Stanford Medical Center for Child Health in Palo Alto, California. “These drugs are very effective in reducing weight and health risks, but suddenly you’re not eating healthy or being physically active.”
In Stanford’s Life Counseling Program, teachers provide long-term lessons to parents and children
Child obesity remains a challenge
