Table 2. Medications for weight loss in the pediatric population

Drug name Mechanism of action FDA indication Off-label drug use Side effects
Orlistat [45] Pancreatic and gastric lipase inhibitor Obesity≥12 years of age Not indicated Flatulence, oily spotty stools, diarrhea, vitamin/mineral deficiency
Exenatide [46] GLP-1 agonist T2DM in adults <18 years of age for obesity (polygenic with the presence of diabetes, hypothalamic, syndromic) Bloating, diarrhea, flatulence
Liraglutide [47,48] GLP-1 agonist 3.0 mg of liraglutide approved for obesity in adolescents (12–17 years) with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity Not indicated Bloating, nausea/vomiting, abdominal pain, the elevation of pancreatic amylase and lipase
Metformin [49] Activation of protein kinase pathway ≥10 years of age, T2DM PCOS, insulin resistance, prediabetes, metabolic syndrome, anti-psychotic medication–induced weight gain, stress eating/emotional eating Bloating, diarrhea, flatulence, contraindicated with risk of lactic acidosis
T2DM, type 2 diabetes mellitus.