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Lookup NU author(s): Cyril Onwuelazu UtehORCiD
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
Background and Aims: The prevalence of obesity and overweight in children remains a significant public health concern globally. Higher chances of premature death and disability in adulthood have been associated with obesity in children. Obesity and overweight are largely preventable. Hence, this study investigated the five-year clinical trial pipeline for obesity in children. Methods: ClinicalTrials.gov (the world’s largest clinical trial register) was searched from September to November 2025 for obesity-related clinical trials (CTs) in children aged 0 – 17 years, first posted between 01/11/2020 – 29/11/2025. The inclusion and exclusion criteria in Table 1 were used for screening. Included CTs were analysed using Power BI Desktop Version 2.149.911.0. Results were presented in charts and tables. Results: A total of 79 CTs and 4,717 participants were included in the analysis. About 37% (29/79) and 25% (20/79) of CTs were in the recruiting and completion stages, respectively. Approximately 41% (32/79) and 27% (21/79) were at phases 3 and 2, respectively. The majority of the CTs were either funded by industries (49%) or by individuals, hospitals, universities and nonprofits (48%). Most CTs were drugs (78%) and behavioural interventions (10%). North America, Europe and Asia are the top three regions with the highest number of obesity-related CTs for children (Figures 1 & 2). Conclusions: The various intervention types reflect the complex nature of obesity management in children, which extends beyond therapeutics alone. The balanced funding between industries and other organisations highlights the importance of both profit-driven and non-profit-driven interventions in managing obesity in children. This study was limited to CTs posted on ClinicalTrials.gov.
Author(s): Uteh CO
Publication type: Conference Proceedings (inc. Abstract)
Publication status: Published
Conference Name: The 13th International Conference on Nutrition and Growth (N&G 2026)
Year of Conference: 2026
Pages: 118-120
Online publication date: 07/04/2026
Acceptance date: 07/01/2026
Date deposited: 13/04/2026
Publisher: N&G
URL: https://nutrition-growth.kenes.com/
ePrints DOI: 10.57711/ssyw-w887
Notes: Awarded the Global Education of Medicine and Science (GEMS) Participation Grant to present at the 13th International Conference on Nutrition and Growth (N&G 2026), Prague, Czech Republic.
