- (HealthDayNews) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration
has approved the first-ever weight-loss drug for children. Hoffman-La Roche's
Xenical (orlistat) is now permitted to treat obese 12- to 16-year-olds,
the company said in a statement.
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- In a 54-week trial involving 539 adolescents in this
age range, 27 percent of those who took Xenical achieved a 5 percent reduction
in their body mass index (BMI, a ratio of height to weight), versus 16
percent who achieved that goal without the medication.
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- Approved for adults in 1998, Xenical works by blocking
about 30 percent of the body's absorption of dietary fat. As in studies
on older people, the medication did have several negative side effects
in the studies on children, including loose stools and bowel control problems.
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- In blocking fat absorption, the drug also stems absorption
of certain vitamins and nutrients, including vitamins A, D, E, and K, and
beta-carotene. The manufacturer recommends that people who take Xenical
also take a daily vitamin supplement.
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