Stomach surgery can help obese teenagers: study (Reuters)
Reuters - Obese teenagers who had surgery to shrink the size of their stomachs on average lost nearly half their weight in the four years after the procedure, according to a study presented on Thursday at a medical conference.

Medication Plus Behavior Changes Helps Obese Adolescents Lose Weight
The weight loss medication sibutramine, when combined with behavior therapy, allowed hundreds of very obese adolescents to lose an average of 14 pounds over a year, according to a multicenter study in the July 18 Annals of Internal Medicine. Adolescents in the study who received placebo (a sugar pill) gained four pounds over the year.In addition to reductions in body mass index and weight, the treated adolescents had improvements in disease risk factors associated with obesity. [click link for full article]

Diet drug may help obese adolescents (Reuters)
Reuters - The weight-loss drug Meridia may be a safe, effective treatment for severely overweight children as young as 12, researchers reported Monday.

Cell-signalling Pathway In Brain Is Key Part Of Networks That Regulate How Much Food We Eat
A cell-signaling pathway in the brain that is linked to the development of cancer and diabetes is also a key part of networks that regulate food intake, say University of Cincinnati (UC) researchers. The finding might one day lead to new ways of helping obese people lose weight, either with new drugs or by carefully designing diets that can activate this pathway. [click link for full article]

Poorer Older Teenagers Fatter Than Well Off Teenagers, USA
According to a new study carried out at Johns Hopkins University's Bloomberg School of Public Health, USA, the prevalence of overweight among older teenagers living below the poverty line was about 50% higher than all other older teenagers. This was not the case with teens aged 14 or under. [click link for full article]