Footnotes

• ↵i such as hypertension, hyperinsulinaemia, dyslipidaemia, type 2 diabetes, psychosocial dysfunction and exacerbation of conditions such as asthma

• ↵ii Endocrine tests are not routinely recommended unless there is other evidence of endocrine disease or short stature. Many overweight children and adolescents have cutaneous striae; investigation for Cushing’s disease is not recommended unless the patient is hypertensive with growth delay, and obesity is of recent onset.

• ↵iii At the time of publication (December 2006), orlistat and sibutramine do not have UK marketing authorisation for use in children. Prescribers should be aware of the special considerations and issues when prescribing for children.

• Competing interests: None.