Weight-Loss Drug for Teens
A study under way at UAB aims to determine if Xenical, a proven weight-loss drug for adults, may also help adolescents who are severely overweight. This is the first weight-loss drug to be tested in adolescents.
"Today, 20 percent of adolescents are obese," says Frank Franklin, M.D., professor of pediatrics at UAB. "They tend to have low self-esteem and attain less educationally and socioeconomically. Also, it can lead to serious medical complications such as diabetes."
The multi-center study will recruit 450 teens to evaluate if the drug is effective and safe in helping adolescents lose weight. Teens enrolled in the study also will receive counseling to help improve eating habits and increase activity levels.
Contact Joy Carter, Media Relations, 205-934-1676 or [email protected].
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