Published at 05.30
Obesity drugs are increasing sharply among children and young people in Sweden. A new research review shows that a combination of drugs and lifestyle changes is most effective for children and young people who need to lose weight.
And a joint job is needed in the family with diet, exercise and sleeping habits.
The use of anti-obesity drugs among children and young people in Sweden is increasing rapidly. In April this year, there were 1,613 people between the ages of 0 and 19 who received such drugs compared to 618 in April 2025, according to figures from the National Board of Health and Welfare.
Just as for adults, the treatment should be given together with changes in lifestyle such as diet and physical activity. That approach is now also supported by research.
– Medicines do not remove the fat but help the person eat less. They suppress the appetite, increase the feeling of satiety and suppress food-seeking behavior and make it significantly easier for children with strong appetites to change their eating habits, says Annika Janson, senior physician at the National Child Obesity Center in Stockholm.
Diet, exercise and sleep
She emphasizes that a job often needs to be done within the family with changes to both diet and exercise as well as sleeping habits to achieve results.
This is supported by a review in Jama Pediatrics, which examined treatment with lifestyle changes, drugs and combinations of these. Lifestyles included, for example, dietary advice, instructor-led physical activity and counselling.
The conclusion is that the combination is most effective for weight loss.
– For the young people who have lost 20-30 kilos, it is significantly easier to move, go to school and be more social. Then you can try to sneak the drugs down slowly. We notice that a combination where the patient receives individual support to map their challenges often works well, says Janson.
Can be expensive
Anti-obesity drugs are not included in the benefit and it is most common that the families have to pay for them themselves. There are different solutions where certain regions bear the costs specifically for children and young people. Another option is to apply for compensation from Försäkringskassan in the form of additional cost compensation, in cases where obesity is counted as a disability. During May this year, such payment had been made for around 400 children with a diagnosis of obesity.
Annika Janson would have liked to see them subsidized for all children with severe obesity.
– Without affective treatment, the children risk becoming heavier and developing serious illness. It would have been more equal if they received important medicine, just like with other diseases, she says.
About the study
The study is an overview of several studies. A total of 3,835 children and young people between the ages of 10 and 19 with obesity were included.
The treatments covered were lifestyle changes, drugs and combinations of these. Lifestyles included, for example, dietary advice, instructor-led physical activity and counselling.
Lifestyles included, for example, dietary advice, instructor-led physical activity and counselling.
The researchers point out that a weakness of the analysis is that few studies examine the effect of medication alone. Changes in lifestyle alone produced an effect, but the combination was most effective.
The researchers point out that the follow-up period was short, in most cases between six and 12 months.
Source: Jama Pediatrics.
