Interventions for Weight Management in Children and Adolescents: Updated Evidence Report and Systematic Review for the US Preventive Services Task Force
An erratum to this article was published (JAMA, 18 Mar 2025 ↗)
Pooled result · BMI and other weight outcomesResult — go to the resultMean difference in change between groups −0.7 95% CI −1.0 to −0.3Authors' conclusion
In the short term, weight management interventions led to lower BMI in children and adolescents, with no evidence of serious harm. Evidence is lacking about how weight management interventions affect BMI beyond 1 year and after medication discontinuation and about longer-term effects on other outcomes.
Study context
- Population
- Children aged 2 to 18 years with high body mass index (BMI) (eg, ≥85th or ≥95th percentile for age and sex), in or recruited from health care settings
- Participants
- 10,143 children58 randomized clinical trials (RCTs)
- Comparison
- Weight management interventions vs control
- Outcome
- BMI and other weight-related outcomes
Methodological detailsrandom-effects models
- Random-effects models
Pooled result
BMI and other weight outcomes · 6 to 12 months
Mean difference in change between groups
−0.7
95% CI −1.0 to −0.3
Weight management interventions (behavioral and pharmacologic)vs control
mean difference in change between groups −0.7 (95% CI −1.0 to −0.3)
As reported in the abstract
Further pooled results
BMI with pharmacotherapy
| Mean difference (95% CI) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Semaglutide1 RCT, n = 201 | −6.0 (−7.3 to −4.6) | |
| −10−505Difference (linear scale) |
- Semaglutide and phentermine/topiramate had the largest effects on BMI
- Immediate weight regain after medication discontinuation (very few studies)
Outcomes other than BMI
- Sparse reporting, few significant findings
Safety
- GI adverse effects common with liraglutide, semaglutide and orlistat
- Serious adverse effects rare; no follow-up longer than 17 months
Original publication
Interventions for Weight Management in Children and Adolescents: Updated Evidence Report and Systematic Review for the US Preventive Services Task Force. JAMA. Published 16 July 2024. doi:10.
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