Weight-loss treatment for children with obesity has lasting effects, study finds

Weight-loss treatment for children with obesity has lasting effects, study finds


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When children with obesity undergo weight-loss treatment, the results have effects later in life, and the risk of serious health problems and premature death is lower as they reach young adulthood. However, this is not the case for depression and anxiety, reports a study from researchers at Karolinska Institutet. published in JAMA Pediatrics,

The study shows that children and adolescents who respond well to obesity treatment are less likely to develop obesity-related diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension and dyslipidemia (abnormally high levels of fat in the blood) as young adults.

The treatment studied involved support for children with obesity and their families designed to motivate healthy diets, exercise and sleep habits—what is known as “behavioral lifestyle therapy.”

“The results are very good news,” says the study’s last author Emilia Hagman, principal researcher at the Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet. “Whether or not the treatment of obesity in childhood has long-term health benefits has been debated, since weight-loss is hard to maintain.”

Treatment for children with obesity has lasting effect

Study Design Schematic. Credit: JAMA Pediatrics (2025). DOI:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2024.5552

Higher risk of dying as young adults

The study shows that children with obesity who respond to treatment also run a lower risk of premature death. A previous study, published in PLOS Medicine by the same research group, has shown that children with obesity have a much higher mortality risk in early adulthood, and were much more likely to die from suicide and somatic conditions. Just over a quarter of deaths were obesity-related.

“This emphasizes the importance of providing early treatment, as we know that timely intervention increases the likelihood of success and helps mitigate the long-term health risks associated with obesity,” says Dr. Hagman.

Depression and anxiety are not affected

However, the risk of depression and anxiety was not affected by the treatment outcomes in childhood, the JAMA Pediatrics paper shows. No matter the outcome of obesity treatment in childhood, the risk of anxiety and depression was unchanged in young adulthood.

“It has been believed that weight loss could decrease symptoms of depression and anxiety, but we can now show that it’s not the case,” says Dr. Hagman. “Even though there’s a link between the two comorbidities, they must be treated in parallel.”

The study included over 6,700 individuals who had received treatment for obesity during childhood identified via the BORIS register (the Swedish Childhood Obesity Treatment Register) and who were then followed up as young adults on the Swedish Patient Register, the Prescribed Drugs Register and the Cause of Death Register. A control group from the general population was also used, matched by age, sex and place of residence.

GLP1 analogs, which have become popular obesity drugs in recent years, were not part of the study, as they were not yet approved when the study participants were being treated for obesity. As Dr. Hagman points out, it is still uncommon for this type of drug to be administered to children.

“I’m in favor of their use as these drugs ease feelings of hunger, which is something that some children struggle with,” she says. “That said, lifestyle therapy is still the foundation of all treatments for childhood obesity.”

The research group will now work to identify therapy options that are most effective for different individuals and the health/risk markers that are significant for future health.

More information:
Resthie R. Putri et al, Effect of Pediatric Obesity Treatment on Long-Term Health, JAMA Pediatrics (2025). DOI: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2024.5552

Provided by Karolinska Institutet


Citation: Weight-loss treatment for children with obesity has lasting effects, study finds (2025, January 21) retrieved 22 January 2025 from

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