Pharmacotherapy should be considered in which patient group?

• A. In children younger than 12 with obesity after lifestyle changes
• B. In adolescents 12 years and older with obesity (>95th percentile) after diet and physical activity intervention
• C. Only in adults
• D. Only after bariatric surgery

Answer: (B)

Pharmacotherapy is used as an add-on to lifestyle changes for a specific pediatric group: adolescents who are 12 years and older and have obesity defined as a BMI at or above the 95th percentile, after they have tried diet and physical activity interventions. In this age group, medications can help augment weight loss when lifestyle efforts alone don’t achieve the needed results, and there are obesity-related health concerns to address. Younger children typically haven’t shown enough safety and efficacy data for medications, and pharmacotherapy isn’t reserved only for adults or strictly dependent on bariatric surgery. So, the scenario that fits best is an adolescent 12 years or older with obesity after structured diet and activity efforts.