CHDS faculty Davene Wright and colleagues used a real-world, retrospective cohort study to assess changes in initial treatment for children and adolescents with obesity, following the issuance of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) guidelines for the treatment of pediatric obesity in 2023. The study used Truveta’s electronic health records from 30 US health systems, allowing researchers to look at clinical care across the US, beyond large academic hospitals.
The guidelines called for intensive health behavior and lifestyle treatment, which involves frequent family-based counseling over several months. Access to such therapy is often limited, especially outside of urban areas. Additionally, for adolescents, the guidelines also recommend offering pharmacotherapy as well as the intensive treatment. The study found that lifestyle intervention remained more common after the release of the 2023 guidelines, but that pharmacotherapy also increased although absolute levels remained low.
Learn more: Read the article, Shifts in US Pediatric Obesity Treatment After the AAP Guidelines
Learn more: Read the Healio press release, Use of Weight-Loss Drugs Increases Among Adolescents
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