JAMA NETWORK

Global prevalence of adolescent use of nonprescription weight-loss products

JAMA Network Open

About The Study: This meta-analysis that included 90 studies with 604,000 participants found that use of weight-loss products occurs at high levels in adolescents, especially girls. These findings suggest that, given the ineffectiveness of these products for weight loss coupled with their harmful long-term health consequences, interventions are required to reduce use of weight-loss products in this group. 

Authors: Natasha Yvonne Hall, Pharm.B., M.H.E., of Deakin University in Melbourne, Australia, is the corresponding author. 

To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ 

(doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.50940)

Editor’s Note: Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, conflict of interest and financial disclosures, and funding and support.

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About JAMA Network Open: JAMA Network Open is an online-only open access general medical journal from the JAMA Network. On weekdays, the journal publishes peer-reviewed clinical research and commentary in more than 40 medical and health subject areas. Every article is free online from the day of publication. 

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JOURNAL

JAMA Network Open

Almost 1:10 adolescents use non-prescription weight loss products globally

Too many adolescents use ineffective and potentially harmful non prescribed weight loss products, review finds

Peer-Reviewed Publication

MONASH UNIVERSITY

One in ten adolescents globally have used ineffective and potentially harmful non prescribed weight loss products in their lifetime, with 2% using them in the previous week.

A review, of over 90 studies of 600,000+ participants, headed by Ms Natasha Hall fro0m Monash University's School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association has found that adolescent use of non prescription weight loss products is 5.5% overall, 2% in the past week; 4.4% in the past month, 6.2% in the past year and 8.9% in their lifetime.

The authors caution against the long term consequences of these ineffective treatments.

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JOURNAL

JAMA Network Open

DOI

10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.50940 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Meta-analysis

ARTICLE TITLE

Global Prevalence of Adolescent Use of Nonprescription Weight-Loss Products

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

10-Jan-2024