Abstract

Childhood overweight and obesity are increasingly common management problems for clinicians. This review focuses on the pharmacological management of obesity in children. It considers historical treatments, the options currently available (principally orlistat and metformin) and some potential future therapeutic interventions. The short term psychological effect of obesity and longer term health impact are discussed. The clinical settings in which drug treatment may be appropriate, the importance of lifestyle interventions, and the evidence and clinical guidance that underpin their use are discussed.