Dutch researchers have concluded that taking a popular weight loss drug in addition to following a low-calorie diet and exercise program may not help overweight teenagers. The results were published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.

While the drug sibutramine has been proven to help adults lose weight, a study of 24 obese teenagers by the VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam found that the drug did little if anything to enhance weight loss. The teens were divided up into two groups and were given either the diet drug or the placebo for a 12-week period. Both groups followed a low-calorie diet and exercise program while taking the pills. After the 12 weeks the groups stopped taking the sibutramine and the placebo. Researchers studied the results and found that the teens who took the diet drug and found that the average fat loss for both groups was similar, as were the changes in metabolism.

It is unclear why this drug did not work for teenagers, while it has shown promise for creating a feeling of satiety in adults and helping to reduce weight. Is it possible that this is because adult and adolescent metabolisms are different? At any rate, there must be better methods for obese teenagers to lose weight. It is unclear what effect weight loss drugs could have on their bodies while they are still growing and developing.