Sydney, (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - The weight loss medication Xenical(R) (orlistat) can safely help obese adolescents to lose excess weight, providing not only a major health benefit but also considerable improvements in self-esteem and quality of life.(1)

Furthermore, those teenagers who experienced a greater weight loss during the first three months of treatment also achieved an average weight loss over three times greater than those with a slower response.

These data were presented at the International Congress on Obesity (ICO) in Sydney, Australia.

Obesity is the most prevalent nutritional disorder among children and adolescents in the majority of developed countries.(2)

It is associated with an increased risk of health problems such as hyperlipidaemia (excess lipids or fats in the blood) and type 2 diabetes, and can result in decreased emotional and physical quality of life.(3-5) Studies show that severely obese children and adolescents have a similar quality of life as those diagnosed as having cancer.(3)

Childhood obesity also results in an increased risk of health problems and mortality in adulthood.(6,7)

"The problem of adolescent obesity has reached alarming levels, with dire health consequences," said Professor Jean-Pierre Chanoine, Head of Endocrinology and Diabetes Unit, British Columbia Children's Hospital, Vancouver, Canada and lead study investigator.

"It's reassuring to know we have a safe and effective treatment option with Xenical.

The significant benefits seen in adolescents who respond early also provide a useful predictor for long-term treatment success."

The retrospective analysis looked at obese adolescents aged 12-16 years treated for 1 year.

Results showed:(1)
* Xenical produced significantly greater reductions in weight vs. placebo (-2.4kg vs. -0.4kg)
* Adolescents who responded early to treatment showed additional and substantial reductions in body weight with Xenical (-7.6kg; BMI -3.7kg/m(2)). Early response was independent of age, gender and ethnicity.
* Xenical was shown to significantly improve quality of life vs. placebo with greater improvements in physical appearance, social acceptance, athletic competence and self-worth vs. placebo.

Assessments were based on Harter's self-perception profile.

Xenical is the only weight loss medication that has safety and efficacy data on use in adolescents 12 years and older included in its label.

Source:
http://www.antara.co.id/en/seenws/?id=19480