One in 10 Australian teenagers have tried an unapproved weight loss product in their lifetime according to new research, with potentially harmful consequences for their long-term health.
The team from Monash and Deakin Universities combined the results of 90 studies, with 604,000 participants, on the use of non-prescription weight loss products in teens – 50 of which were from North America and three from Australia or NZ.
Lead author, Deakin’s Natasha Hall, said that their investigation confirmed that the use of weight-loss products occurred at elevated levels in adolescents globally, especially girls.
“While many studies have reviewed weight-loss product use without a prescription in adolescents, no systematic review or meta-analysis, to our knowledge, has determined the overall proportion of adolescents using weight-loss products without a physician’s prescription,” she said.
“This includes identifying subgroup prevalence with respect to sex, weight-loss product type, and country differences. Yet better understanding of the prevalence of weight-loss product use in adolescents and adolescent subgroups may allow for policy developments, further research, and targeted education strategies among particular at-risk groups.”
Weight-loss products were defined as drugs and dietary supplements that were used for weight control without a prescription or a physician’s order, including diuretics, laxatives, and diet pills.
“The studies included general population adolescent prevalence studies and populations among whom use of weight-loss products is known to be higher, including those with substance use, such as the LGBTQI community, adolescents with type 1 diabetes, those with known eating disorders, and elite athletes,” Ms Hall said.
“Therefore, a second analysis to determine the prevalence of weight-loss product use in the general adolescent population was completed with the exclusion of these higher-risk populations.”
The prevalence of weight-loss product use without a physician’s prescription in adolescents ranged from past week use of 1.6% in Australia; past 30-day use of 6.1% in the US, 6.7% in Brazil, and 2.4% in South Korea; and past year use of 3.7% in NZ and 3.5% in Israel.
Overall, the prevalence of weight-loss product use across the studies was 5.5%. However, when high-risk individuals were excluded, this prevalence ranged from 2% in the past week to 8.9% over their lifetime.
The lifetime prevalence of diet pill use was the highest (6%), followed by use of laxatives (4%) and use of diuretics (2%).
Ms Hall said many available non-prescription weight loss products were ineffective and potentially harmful for long-term health, more needed to be done to reduce the use of these products by young people.
“Nonprescribed weight-loss products in children are not medically recommended for healthy weight maintenance as they do not work, are dangerous, are associated with unhealthful weight gain in adulthood, and increase the risk of being diagnosed with an eating disorder within several years of onset of use,” she said.
“Furthermore, childhood use of nonprescribed weight-loss products has been associated with low self-esteem, depression, poor nutritional intake, and substance use.
“Equally alarming was the ease of access to these products without a prescription, without a physician’s orders, and without restrictions. This emphasises the need for increased regulation of nonprescription weight-loss products, especially for individuals 18 years or younger.”