Children now using anti-obesity drugs

HEALTH: Scale of country’s battle against the bulge laid bare

Children as young as 14 in Tayside and Fife are being handed drugs in a bid to bring their obesity under control, The Courier can reveal.

As the nation continues to battle with an obesity epidemic, we can reveal that more than 100 local teenagers have been prescribed medication over the last four years.

Meanwhile, 14 young people from Tayside and Fife in their twenties have undergone life-saving bariatric surgery – a last resort for the morbidly obese.

As the desperate bid to battle the bulge continues, nursery schools in Dundee have banned stabilisers from bikes in a bid to force youngsters to use their core for balance – an important form of exercise for maintaining a healthy weight.

And despite ongoing efforts to promote healthy eating, analysis by The Courier has found that Scotland’s major cities have the equivalent of one takeaway for each secondary school class.

Children as young as 14 are being put on obesity drugs in a stark warning of the public health “time bomb” facing the country.

More than 100 teenagers on Tayside and Fife have been prescribed medication such as Orlistat in the last four years, according to figures obtained by The Courier.

The drug is only recommended for children in extreme cases and when diet and exercise has failed.

The data also shows 14 young people from Tayside and Fife in their twenties have undergone lifesaving bariatric surgery since 2013, a last resort for those with the most severe of obesity issues.

Across all age groups in that time period, 165 underwent the surgery, which involves reducing the stomach size or diverting food away from the it.

Alex Cole-Hamilton, for the Scottish Liberal Democrats, said the reliance on drugs and surgery shows how urgent the obesity crisis has become.

“These statistics sound an alarm bell around the changing nature of childhood health in this country,” said the MSP, who wants to extend the rights of GPs to prescribe free access to exercise.

“The national obesity epidemic already puts a huge strain on our NHS. Unless we take action now we are sitting on obesity time bomb that will only increase pressure on services.

“We need to ensure parents get the support they need to give their children a healthy start in life.”

Up to four 14-year-olds are among the 77 teenagers in Fife who have been put on weight loss drugs since 2013, according to figures released under freedom of information laws. On Tayside, 24 teenagers were prescribed the medication, including a 15-year-old.

Treating child obesity with drugs is not recommended unless a child’s weight is causing physical problems, such as putting too much strain on joints and stopping breathing during sleep, or is associated with severe psychological issues.

In a Scottish Parliament survey of 36 academics, the use of weight loss drugs as a way of tackling obesity came bottom out of 61 possible interventions.

Dr Margaret Hannah, director of public health at NHS Fife, said the main treatment for obesity is a suitable diet and increased physical activity.

“The prescription of Orlistat for adults is only available to those who meet strict criteria and have completed a successful three-month structured weight management programme,” she added.

“Orlistat is also available in a low dosage over the counter.

“Bariatric surgery is only carried out on suitable candidates following extensive psychological, physical and lifestyle analysis and is strictly limited to one procedure per patient.”

Dr Drew Walker, for NHS Tayside, said they have not recommended Orlistat for any children.

“Orlistat is generally only given on the recommendation of the Tayside Weight Management Service and all patients prescribed it require to be regularly reviewed and must continue to lose weight to remain on the drug,” he added.

“Bariatric surgery may be offered to patients with a body mass index greater than 35 and who successfully achieve completion of weight management tier three and successfully undergo psychological assessment.

“The number of people who are obese continues to rise and this requires multiple approaches and programmes to tackle this key public health issue.”