The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved an obesity drug used in adults, orlistat (Xenical), for use in children ages 12 and up. The drug works by inhibiting fat absorption in the intestines. It is minimally absorbed by the body and has little chance of causing serious side effects. It does cause more gas production and oily stools. The drug was first approved for use in adults in 1999.
The problem of obesity in children is becoming an epidemic, and treatments are needed on an ever increasing scale. Hopefully, further research will show this drug to be safe and effective in obese adolescents.
