On January 9th, 2023, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released new guidance on childhood obesity for the first time in 15 years.
This is the first guidance from the group on the evaluation of children and adolescents who are overweight and obese and sets the ages at which children and teens should be offered medical treatments such as drugs and surgery.
The AAP recommends that pediatricians use a family-based approach to treating childhood obesity, which includes working with parents to establish healthy habits and routines for the entire family, such as regular physical activity and healthy eating. Additionally, the AAP suggests that pediatricians screen all children for obesity at every well-child visit and provide counseling and support for families to help them make lifestyle changes.
Obesity is now considered a disease by the AAP. Along with the above intensive behavioral and lifestyle changes, AAP also supports referral to a specialist and medication use if needed.
Is Wegovy the answer to childhood obesity? Manufacturing and reimbursement challenges.
The guidelines came in soon after the emergence of new drug treatments for childhood obesity; this includes the approval of Wegovy in December 2023. Wegovy is given as a weekly injection and has approval for children aged 12 and older.
According to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, Wegovy helped teenagers reduce their BMI by approximately 16% on average.
However, many patients might not be able to obtain the medication for various reasons. A recent surge in demand for anti-obesity drugs such as WeGovy (semaglutide) is caused by manufacturing issues, high demand, and celebrities on social media platforms promoting their weight loss. This increased demand has led to a drug shortage, making them difficult to obtain.
At this point lies the question of whether or not the health insurance companies will cover the costs of the drug, which is around $1,300 per month.
Updated AAP Guidelines bothered public opinion and initiated a controversial conversation.
Employing drugs and bariatric surgery (among others) to treat obesity in children and adolescents has garnered significant media attention, given the staggering number of over 14.4 million children and teenagers in the US affected by this condition. The updated guidelines were not well-received by the public, who provided negative feedback. US citizens, especially advocates of diet and exercise, expressed on social media their anger and disbelief as they strongly disagree with the new guidelines.
On the other hand, AAP emphasizes that obesity is a complicated and chronic disease that is not subject to a simple fix as non-experts suggest.
Tackling childhood obesity requires a holistic approach. What CDC suggests.
According to Pratt et al., the Working Group identified several important research directions for the prevention and treatment of childhood obesity. These include interventions that focus on healthy eating, physical activity, and reducing sedentary behavior.
The CDC suggests that healthcare facilities must offer comprehensive and family-centered services, along with community resources, policies, and programs to aid patients in overcoming the challenges they face in tackling childhood obesity. Additionally, access to family healthy weight programs should be improved, with any barriers such as availability, cost, and insurance reimbursement addressed as necessary.
What’s next in the weight loss treatments market?
The adoption of weight loss drugs for kids as one of the tools to face obesity can create opportunities in the market for new players. According to Bloomberg forecasts, the global weight-loss treatments market will surpass $30 billion by 2030, while some scenarios are talking even about $50 billion worth. The more familiar adults become with these therapies, the more willing they will be to use them or consent to their kids using them.
As mentioned above, Wegovy helped teenagers reduce their BMI; an initial weight loss can spur younger patients to reduce their weight holistically by using all the tools available. We believe that the use of medication and lifestyle changes should be the focal points of any messaging strategy of current and prospective players.
Further research for new weight loss drugs for kids may develop drugs administered monthly (instead of weekly), which is a more kid-friendly option. Moreover, depending on whether insurance companies reimburse Pediatric and Adolescent Bariatric Surgery, we can expect more hospitals offering this solution.
The key takeaway is that, as defined in the words of the AAP, obesity is a “complex and often persistent chronic disease” and will require much effort to improve patient outcomes. We expect to see the implications of this new approach to obesity in the market size of weight loss therapies within the next few years.
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#wegovy #weightlossmedication #fdaapproval #childhoodobesity #bariatricsurgery #semaglutide
Sources:
https://twitter.com/AP/status/1612471845957107712
https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/strategies/healthcare/index.html/
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2208601
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2546465/
New guidelines for treating childhood obesity include medications and surgery for first time