Xenical

Obesity in childhood and adolescence

According to the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine dated April 2006 the long time spent watching TV would increase overweight in children and adolescents.

In the light of such statement several studies have been conducted, because obesity implies a number of associated risks - such as cardiovascular diseases and diabetes 2 - that became more and more dangerous in with the passing of time.

However, some researchers claimed, in that same article, that the association of risk factors and obesity is only valid for children who were born to obese parents, because in the studies conducted with children whose parents were not overweight, the time exposed to TV did not show as a cause for obesity. On the contrary, the sedentary time spent in watching TV was a determinant factor among those children with, at least, one obese parent.

Although the conclusions of these studies show that generalizing the effects of watching TV on obesity would not be correct, they also state that the weight of parents is an important factor to be borne in mind along with the amount of hours spent in that sedentary activity. They also posed the need for further research.

In an article published by the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health in the Tufts University School of Medicine, USA, researchers make a distinction between short-term and long-term risks.

They mentioned some short-term physical risks for severely overweight children, such as orthopedic, neurological, pulmonary, gastro-enterological, and endocrine conditions. Apart from that, researchers emphasize the “social burden of pediatric obesity, especially during middle childhood and adolescence, may have lasting effects on self-esteem, body image and economic mobility. ”

Regarding the intermediate and long-term consequences, such as the development of cardiovascular risk factors and persistence of obesity into adulthood, researchers said that “these effects of early obesity presage later adult disease and premature mortality.”

What can be done?

There is an only path to follow: a low calorie diet and a regular exercise program. However, defining the solution in those simple terms is, to a certain extent, quite naif as stated by Dr Chanoine a researcher who conducted some studies related to obesity and Xenical: “It is very hard to change teenage behavior. They can be very independent. They would rather play video games and eat pizza.”

In view to that situation, some teenagers may need an extra aid to be able to follow a long-term lose-fat plan and that is the main reason why many physicians prescribe Xenical today - the drug blocks the up to 30% of the fat consumed by blocking the enzymes before they can be absorbed into the body. Dietary fats are large molecules that are broken down by enzymes before they can be absorbed and eventually stores in the body ’s fat depots.

The studies conducted show that overweight teenagers who exercise and go on a low calorie diet will better control their weight if they also take Xenical. However, Jean-Pierre Chanoine, MD, a diabetes specialist at the British Colombia Children’s Hospital and lead author of the study, emphasizes that Xenical is not “a magic pill.” He explained that the drug does not make patients lose fat by itself, but as a part of a comprehensive lose weight plan .

Conclusions

Dr. Holly Wyatt, the program director of the Centers for Obesity and Research and Education in Colorado, said that weight loss drugs may be an imperfect way to lose weight, but they are here to stay in spite of some side effects such as increased blood pressure and heart rate. That is the reason why Xenical should be prescribed by a physician, who must check the patient periodically along treatment.

Wyatt said it is necessary to help teenagers and children to change their mentalities and motivate them to become more physically active in their daily lives. “Anything is better than being sedentary,” she said, “This can prevent them from continuing to gain weight.”