Pharmacological interventions for the management of children and adolescents living with obesity-An update of a Cochrane systematic review with meta-analyses.

Torbahn G, Jones A, Griffiths A, Matu J, Metzendorf MI, Ells LJ, Gartlehner G, Kelly AS, Weghuber D, Brown T

Pediatric obesity7 Mar 2024Cited by 26 (Europe PMC)

PMID38454737DOI10.1111/ijpo.13113PepBankPUB-38454737

Publisher page PubMedAsk about this study

Summary

The text of this summary is not shown here, because the article license does not allow reuse. Read it at the source (opens in a new tab)

Text rights: CC BY-NC-ND. Results still quote short attributed sentences.

Results from this study7

1 result from studies that gave the peptide. 1 result from people.

01HumanSystematic reviewEfficacy outcome
In children and adolescents with obesity, semaglutide produced the largest BMI reduction of any drug, 5.88 kg/m2 (N = 201).
In plain wordsIn children and teenagers with obesity, semaglutide gave the largest BMI reduction of the drugs compared in the trials.
Peptide
Semaglutide
Outcome
DecreaseBMI change with semaglutide
Study
n = 201
Outcome group
Body weight · Metabolic and weight
Studied dose
Dose not stated
Measurements
BMI change
−5.88 kg/m2
semaglutide
Source sentences
Summary
with semaglutide producing the largest reduction of -5.88 kg/m² (95% CI: -6.99 to -4.77, N = 201).
2 context sentences(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
Randomized controlled trials ≥6 months in people <19 years living with obesity.
Summary · context
Thirty-five trials (N = 4331), follow-up: 6-24 months; age: 8.8-16.3 years; BMI: 26.2-41.7 kg/m².
Report a problemFND-3845473702

Studies that did not test the peptide alone6

In this study, Semaglutide was a lab tool or a carrier, part of a mix, or the subject of a lab method. These results are not evidence about taking Semaglutide.

02HumanNot a test of Semaglutide aloneSystematic reviewEfficacy outcome
In children and adolescents with obesity, pooled anti-obesity medications reduced 95th percentile BMI by 11.88 percentage points, with low certainty evidence.
In plain wordsIn children and teenagers with obesity, anti-obesity drugs as a group lowered the 95th percentile BMI. This result is not about semaglutide alone.
Peptide
Semaglutide
Outcome
Decrease95th percentile BMI change, all drugs pooled
Study
n = 668
Outcome group
Body weight · Metabolic and weight
Measurements
95th percentile BMI change
−11.88 percentage points
all drugs pooled
Source sentences
Summary
Low certainty evidence demonstrated reduction in 95th percentile BMI: -11.88 percentage points (95% CI: -18.43 to -5.30, N = 668).
2 context sentences(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
Randomized controlled trials ≥6 months in people <19 years living with obesity.
Summary · context
Thirty-five trials (N = 4331), follow-up: 6-24 months; age: 8.8-16.3 years; BMI: 26.2-41.7 kg/m².
In this study, Semaglutide was a lab tool or a carrier, part of a mix, or the subject of a lab method. This result is not evidence about taking Semaglutide.
Report a problemFND-3845473703
03HumanNot a test of Semaglutide aloneSystematic reviewEfficacy outcome
In children and adolescents with obesity, pooled anti-obesity medications reduced BMI by 1.71 units, with moderate certainty evidence.
In plain wordsIn children and teenagers with obesity, anti-obesity drugs as a group lowered BMI. This result is not about semaglutide alone.
Peptide
Semaglutide
Outcome
DecreaseBMI change, all drugs pooled
Study
n: not reported in source
Outcome group
Body weight · Metabolic and weight
Measurements
BMI change
−1.71 units
all drugs pooled
Source sentences
Summary
Moderate certainty evidence demonstrated a -1.71 (95% confidence interval [CI]: -2.27 to -1.14)-unit BMI reduction, ranging from -0.8 to -5.9 units between individual drugs
2 context sentences(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
Randomized controlled trials ≥6 months in people <19 years living with obesity.
Summary · context
Thirty-five trials (N = 4331), follow-up: 6-24 months; age: 8.8-16.3 years; BMI: 26.2-41.7 kg/m².
In this study, Semaglutide was a lab tool or a carrier, part of a mix, or the subject of a lab method. This result is not evidence about taking Semaglutide.
Report a problemFND-3845473701
04HumanNot a test of Semaglutide aloneSystematic reviewSafety outcome
In children and adolescents with obesity, serious adverse events did not differ between pooled medications and comparators.
In plain wordsIn children and teenagers with obesity, serious side effects were not different between anti-obesity drugs as a group and comparators.
Peptide
Semaglutide
Outcome
No significant changeSerious adverse events, all drugs pooled
Study
n: not reported in source
Comparator
Comparators
Outcome group
Adverse events · Whole body
Source sentences
Summary
Serious adverse events and study discontinuation due to adverse events did not differ between medications and comparators
2 context sentences(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
Randomized controlled trials ≥6 months in people <19 years living with obesity.
Summary · context
Thirty-five trials (N = 4331), follow-up: 6-24 months; age: 8.8-16.3 years; BMI: 26.2-41.7 kg/m².
In this study, Semaglutide was a lab tool or a carrier, part of a mix, or the subject of a lab method. This result is not evidence about taking Semaglutide.
Report a problemFND-3845473704
05HumanNot a test of Semaglutide aloneSystematic reviewSafety outcome
In children and adolescents with obesity, study discontinuation due to adverse events did not differ between pooled medications and comparators.
In plain wordsIn children and teenagers with obesity, stopping a study because of side effects was not different between anti-obesity drugs as a group and comparators.
Peptide
Semaglutide
Outcome
No significant changeDiscontinuation due to adverse events, all drugs pooled
Study
n: not reported in source
Comparator
Comparators
Outcome group
Adverse events · Whole body
Source sentences
Summary
Serious adverse events and study discontinuation due to adverse events did not differ between medications and comparators
2 context sentences(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
Randomized controlled trials ≥6 months in people <19 years living with obesity.
Summary · context
Thirty-five trials (N = 4331), follow-up: 6-24 months; age: 8.8-16.3 years; BMI: 26.2-41.7 kg/m².
In this study, Semaglutide was a lab tool or a carrier, part of a mix, or the subject of a lab method. This result is not evidence about taking Semaglutide.
Report a problemFND-3845473705
06HumanNot a test of Semaglutide aloneSystematic reviewSafety outcome
In children and adolescents with obesity, dose adjustments were higher with pooled medications than with comparators (10.6% vs 1.7%).
In plain wordsIn children and teenagers with obesity, anti-obesity drugs as a group needed dose changes more often than comparators did.
Peptide
Semaglutide
Outcome
IncreaseMedication dose adjustments, all drugs pooled
Study
n: not reported in source
Comparator
Comparators
Outcome group
Adverse events · Whole body
Measurements
Dose adjustments
10.6%
medications
Dose adjustments
1.7%
comparators
Source sentences
Summary
but medication dose adjustments were higher compared to comparator (10.6% vs 1.7%; RR = 3.74 [95% CI: 1.51 to 9.26], I² = 15%), regardless of approval status.
2 context sentences(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
Randomized controlled trials ≥6 months in people <19 years living with obesity.
Summary · context
Thirty-five trials (N = 4331), follow-up: 6-24 months; age: 8.8-16.3 years; BMI: 26.2-41.7 kg/m².
In this study, Semaglutide was a lab tool or a carrier, part of a mix, or the subject of a lab method. This result is not evidence about taking Semaglutide.
Report a problemFND-3845473706
07HumanNot a test of Semaglutide aloneSystematic reviewEfficacy outcome
In children and adolescents with obesity, pooled medications showed a trend towards improved quality of life.
In plain wordsIn children and teenagers with obesity, anti-obesity drugs as a group showed a trend towards better quality of life.
Peptide
Semaglutide
Outcome
IncreaseQuality of life, all drugs pooled
Study
n: not reported in source
Outcome group
Quality of life · Whole body
Source sentences
Summary
There was a trend towards improved quality of life.
2 context sentences(design, population, supporting numbers)
Summary · context
Randomized controlled trials ≥6 months in people <19 years living with obesity.
Summary · context
Thirty-five trials (N = 4331), follow-up: 6-24 months; age: 8.8-16.3 years; BMI: 26.2-41.7 kg/m².
In this study, Semaglutide was a lab tool or a carrier, part of a mix, or the subject of a lab method. This result is not evidence about taking Semaglutide.
Report a problemFND-3845473707

AI wrote and checked these results. AI can make mistakes, so check important results against the source.

Version history

PepBank keeps every version of the data on this study. Status changes from Retraction Watch, Europe PMC and Crossref are listed with their source.

Version 2Current
11 Oct 2026, 00:04 UTC
Study results updated
Version 1
9 Oct 2026, 03:06 UTC
First added · source update from Europe PMC

Subjects

Terms as the source lists them.

Publication types

MeSH terms

Keywords

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