Key messages:
- Eating disorder behaviours may be more prevalent among male adolescents and young male adults who use prescription weight loss medication, emphasizing the need to understand these novel findings.
- Appropriate eating disorder assessments and interventions are required for those who use prescription weight loss medications, including young males.
Introduction
Prescription weight loss medications, especially glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, have garnered considerable attention in recent years. Strong evidence demonstrates the effectiveness of these medications in promoting weight loss and reducing indicators of type 2 diabetes.
Despite these benefits, prescription weight loss medication use may cause adverse physical side effects such as nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting. Use of these medications has been linked with suicidal ideation and attempts, and concerns have been raised that their use may perpetuate eating disorder behaviours. Prescription weight loss medications increase feelings of fullness and decrease hunger by slowing stomach emptying, which may result in unhealthy restrictive eating behaviours in individuals with or at-risk for eating disorders. Those at risk may access prescription weight loss medications due to weight and shape concerns, weight stigma, and desires to achieve a specific ideal body.
Furthermore, there was a nearly 600% increase in the dispensing of these medications to adolescents and young adults between 2020 and 2023. Additionally, a third of male adolescents and young male adults report trying to lose weight. However, the prevalence of recent weight loss medications in these populations remains unknown. There is a great need to describe the prevalence of weight loss medication use among understudied populations, as well as identify associations with eating disorder behaviours.
Objectives
This study identified the prevalence of prescription weight loss medication use among young males, described the sociodemographic differences between those who did and did not report use, and explored differences in eating disorder behaviours between the two groups.
Methods
Data from 1,543 males from Canada and the United States (aged 15-35) were analyzed to estimate the prevalence of prescription weight loss medication use in the past 12 months and to determine the differences in sociodemographics and eating disorder behaviours between those who did and did not use prescription weight loss medication.
Results
Among the participants, 1.2% (n = 19) reported using prescription weight loss medication in the past 12 months. Those who used this medication were significantly older and had higher body mass index (BMI) compared to those who did not report use. Experiences of loss of control while eating, binge eating, and purging through vomiting in the past 28 days were more prevalent among those who reported using prescription weight loss medication.
Conclusion
This study found a low prevalence of prescription weight loss medication use among a large sample of males aged 15 to 35 in Canada and the United States. Those who used these medications were more likely to exhibit certain eating disorder behaviours, such as loss of control while eating, binge eating, and purging through vomiting. These results underscore the need for further research on the relationship between prescription weight loss medication use and eating disorder behaviours to understand these associations.
Additionally, some prescription medications for weight loss have been considered for treating bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder. However, there are concerns that these medications could complicate eating disorder treatment, highlighting the need for further research on the subject. Health and mental health care professionals should note the associations found in this study to ensure appropriate eating disorder assessments and interventions for those who use prescription weight loss medications, including male adolescents and young male adults.
