Food and Drug Authority

Family Medicine Consultant, Vice President of the Saudi Society for Family and Community Medicine, Dr. Ashraf Abdel Qayyum Amir, confirmed in his response to the question posed by Al-Madina about the side effects that could occur to obese children and adolescents due to their use of the new Saxenda treatment. Do these effects cause the discontinuation of its use? In his response, he confirmed that Saxenda has been in the Kingdom since 2017, after the Saudi Food and Drug Authority approved its use for obese adults over 20 years of age, and during the past months, the authority authorized its use for children and adolescents in the age group between 8 - 16 years to prove its medical efficacy to reduce obesity.

Added Dr. Amir said, “Through my work and my dealings with adult patients, no serious side effects of the drug have been recorded except for minor and normal side effects, especially at the beginning of its use by the patient, especially since this type of medication can only be used under medical supervision.”

This came during a virtual press conference organized by the Saudi Society for Family and Community Medicine, in cooperation with Novo Nordisk International Medical Center, in which the participating doctors discussed a number of important topics related to obesity among children and adolescents of the age group ranging from 8-16 years. The branch of the Saudi Society for Family and Community Medicine in Jeddah, Dr. Sami bin Saleh Eid, in his speech during the press conference, said that the society aims, by organizing this conference, to increase health awareness among all segments of society in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, especially with regard to the harms and risks of obesity on society. In general, and for adolescents between the ages of 8-16 years of both sexes, Dr. Eid stressed the importance of the association’s role as a medical and scientific association specialized in the field of family and community medicine in supporting these programs and helping them succeed and working to achieve their goals, which, after God’s providence, contributes to Protecting our society from the dangers of disease and limiting its spread, and at the same time pointed to the critical role of the media in its various means in spreading health awareness in societies and This has a positive impact on different age groups of citizens and residents.

The press conference, which aims to raise health awareness against the dangers of obesity and educate the community about how to prevent and treat this disease, which was held through the webinar feature of virtual conferences, witnessed a distinguished presence of a group of doctors and consultants specializing in family and community medicine, pediatrics and endocrinology from the association and from major medical and research centers in the Kingdom.

For his part, Dr. Melvin de Souza, General Manager of Novo Nordisk Saudi Arabia, highlighted the international medical research that confirms the extent of the danger that obesity poses to adolescents in the world, especially in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which called the company and its operators to participate and cooperate with the Saudi Society of Family Medicine The society and the doctors who are speakers to hold this awareness conference to warn against the disease and define the ways and mechanisms of its treatment, especially since the close link between obesity in adolescents leads to an increase in the risk of developing type 2 diabetes in both sexes in the early stage of puberty, and Dr. De Souza alluded to the need to intensify Awareness programs for adolescents and parents regarding balanced nutrition and physical activity and the treatment of obesity in its early stages with effective and approved treatments.

While the family medicine consultant, Vice-President of the Saudi Society for Family and Community Medicine in the Kingdom, Dr. Ashraf Amir presented a scientific and introductory lecture entitled “The Role of the Family Physician in Combating Obesity,” in which he explained the importance of the role that the family doctor presents to his community by following up on the cases of auditors from family members, whether they are children. Or young, old, and even the elderly during their periodic reviews of primary health care centers and hospitals, where the family doctor is the first line of defense to protect society from the dangers of these diseases and treat the problem before it occurs, thus limiting its spread and aggravating its complications.

The scientific program of the virtual press conference concluded with a lecture given by Dr. Bassam bin Abbas, a consultant pediatric endocrinologist at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center in Riyadh, who highlighted the importance of observing the weight of adolescents and children in societies, where the percentage of obesity in children increases as a result of lack of physical and motor activity in addition to To eat fast foods that contain a high amount of calories and unsaturated fats. Dr. Bin Abbas warned parents against children''s involvement in electronic games and neglect of sports activities, which results in an increase in the obesity rate among adolescents.

It is worth noting what scientists and specialized researchers expected that the number of obese children in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia between the ages of 5 to 19 years would reach 1,864,250 children by 2030, and the obesity rate among children aged 10 to 19 years had reached 17.1% during 2017. This percentage is expected to rise in 2023 to 23.3%. It is also projected that 22,555 children aged 5-19 will be obese by 2030 globally.

A study on health and nutrition among Saudi adolescent girls indicated that 77.6% of them, ages 16 to 18, suffer from iron deficiency, 18.2% of them are overweight, and 11.5% are obese. The study suggested that they often do not eat breakfast and follow a diet high in sugar as a result of eating large amounts of fast food and soft drinks.

A study conducted at King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS) examined the relationships between dietary patterns, household income levels, excessive use of electronic devices and insufficient exercise.

On the other hand, a new study by the World Health Organization, published in the scientific journal The Lancet, confirmed that the rates of obesity in children and adolescents increased tenfold in the world during the past forty years. The study called on governments to take immediate measures to reduce the marketing of unhealthy foods and drinks full of calories and sugars destined for children and to prevent their availability in schools.

At the conclusion of the press conference, the speakers answered the media''s questions.