Nearly 10 percent of youth worldwide have tried a nonprescription weight loss product, according to a review of 90 studies completed by researchers at JAMA Network.
Their review, cited by MedPage Today, noted that 8.9 percent of minors had used a nonprescription drug or dietary supplement at least once in their lives.
Researchers state that these products are ineffective and could be harmful. It is also believed that the use of such products increases the risk of an adolescent developing an eating disorder, such as anorexia, in adulthood.
The use of nonprescription weight loss products was also found to have risen over the past 20+ years. According to MedPage Today, the number of minors using such products in their lifetime was found to be 5.1 percent in studies published before the year 2000. This figure shot up to 10.3 percent in studies after 2000 and to 13 percent after 2010.
The number of youth in North America using nonprescription weight loss products was found to be much higher than in Europe and Asia and significantly higher among girls.
Studies reported that 4.4 percent of adolescents who participated in the surveys had used a nonprescription weight loss product within the past month and 2 percent had used one in the past week.
