As the use and availability of obesity medications continue to evolve, important questions remain about how these treatments can be most effectively and safely incorporated into pediatric obesity care. The 2023 American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Clinical Practice Guideline for the Evaluation and Treatment of Children and Adolescents with Obesity recommends offering pharmacotherapy, when medically appropriate, as an adjunct to health behavior and lifestyle treatment for youth ages 12 and older with obesity.
Amidst this rapidly evolving treatment landscape, NCCOR’s “Clinical Research Gaps in Pediatric Obesity Pharmacotherapy” workshop brought together experts from across research, clinical care, and related fields to identify critical gaps and opportunities for advancing the evidence base on obesity medications for children and adolescents.
The objective of the workshop was to understand current practice and identify research gaps that, when answered, could help health care practitioners over the next two to three years in the process and practice of prescription, maintenance, and discontinuation of GLP-1s and other OMs for youth, and support for their caregivers.
About the Workshop
Held from 2025-2026, the “Clinical Research Gaps in Pediatric Obesity Pharmacotherapy” workshop was designed as a year-long collaborative process that combined three virtual meetings, a two-day in-person convening, and six months of sustained post-meeting engagement to identify and prioritize research gaps in pediatric obesity pharmacotherapy. The workshop convened 27 experts and was guided by seven distinguished co-chairs.
Through facilitated discussions and a structured process for gathering and refining research priorities, participants identified gaps across several key areas, including:
- Obesity medication treatment initiation, selection, duration, and discontinuation
- Treatment effects and outcomes
- Mental and behavioral health
- Nutrition and physical activity assessment, monitoring, and counseling
- Health behavior and lifestyle treatment (HBLT)
White Paper and Resources
The workshop resulted in a white paper that outlines key clinical research gaps and opportunities related to pediatric obesity pharmacotherapy. The white paper highlights 35 priority research questions and outlines clinical protocols, outcomes, and tools that could help address key evidence gaps, guide future research, and improve the quality and consistency of care for youth with obesity. These resources are intended to serve as a foundation for continued discussion and future research to address important evidence gaps in the evolving field of pediatric obesity care.
Explore the resources:
- Executive Summary
- White Paper
- Primary Research Questions
- Outcomes to Inform Clinical Care
- Research Protocols
Thank you to the workshop co-chairs for their contributed time and expertise:
Katherine Balantekin, PhD, RD
University at Buffalo
Meredith Dreyer Gillette, PhD
Children’s Mercy Kansas City
Faith Anne Heeren, PhD
Wake Forest University School of Medicine
Jaime Moore, MD, MPH
University of Colorado School of Medicine; Children’s Hospital Colorado
Lauren Shomaker, PhD
Colorado State University; University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus; Children’s Hospital Colorado; Colorado School of Public Health
Webb Smith, PhD, ACSM, CEP
University of Tennessee Health Science Center; Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital
Brooke Sweeney, MD, FAAP, FACP, DABOM
Children’s Mercy Kansas City; University of Missouri Kansas City, Children’s Center for Healthy Lifestyles & Nutrition