Prescription weight loss medication use and eating disorder psychopathology among adolescent boys and young men from Canada and the United States

This study aimed to identify the prevalence of prescription weight loss medication use among boys and men, describe the sociodemographic differences between those who did and did not report use, and explore differences in eating disorder attitudes and behaviors between those who did and did not report use. Data from 1543 boys and men from Canada and the United States aged 15 to 35 were analyzed. The prevalence of prescription weight loss medication use in the past 12 months was estimated. Fisher's exact tests and independent samples t-tests were used to determine the differences in sociodemographic identifiers and eating disorder attitudes and behaviors between those who did and did not use prescription weight loss medication. Among the sample, 1.2 % (n = 19) reported use of prescription weight loss medication in the past 12 months. Those who reported use of prescription weight loss medication were significantly older and had significantly higher body mass index compared to those who did not report use. Any loss of control while eating, binge eating, and purging via vomiting in the past 28 days were all more common among those who reported the use of prescription weight loss medication. Eating disorder psychopathology was also significantly higher among those who reported the use of prescription weight loss medication. These preliminary findings underscore that eating disorder attitudes and behaviors may be more prevalent among boys and men who use prescription weight loss medication, emphasizing the need for more research to understand these novel findings.