Kids Taking Seroquel, Zyprexa at Risk of Obesity Weight Gain, New Study Says

Children taking commonly prescribed psychiatric drugs like Abilify, Risperdal, Seroquel, and Zyprexa are more likely to quickly gain weight and become obese in a matter of months, a new study finds.

Weight gain has been named before as a possible side effect of anti-psychotics for treating schizophrenia, bi-polar disorder, and other mental disorders. However, the new study suggests that children and teens are at even greater risks of weight gain than adults on the same drugs, according to an Associated Press report.

An estimated two million American children take the drugs each year.

In addition to causing sharp increases in weight, the drugs, which are widely given to children with autism, attention deficit disorders, and similar behavioral problems, also may lead to dangerous increases in cholesterol and other blood fats, researchers warned.

Seroquel, a leading anti-psychotic drug, has been shown to increase the risk of developing diabetes and other blood sugar disorders as well as other serious side effects.

Study Finds Weight Gains

Researchers led by the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System conducted the largest-ever study of the drugs in children who recently began taking the medications. The study was based on data from 205 New York City-area children between the ages of four and 19 who had recently been prescribed one of the drugs. The average age of children in the study was 14.

The participants gained between about 10 and 20 pounds on average in almost 11 weeks, depending on which of the four brand-name drugs they took. Between 10 to 36 percent of those became obese, officials said.

Seroquel and Zyprexa had the worst effects on weight and cholesterol in the study, researchers said. The drugs are not yet approved for use in children, although many doctors give them to kids anyway, and a Food and Drug Administration advisory panel recently recommended approving their use in kids.

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