According to figures revealed by a recent American research, nearly a third of children and teens on antipsychotic drugs for the first time rapidly gained weight to become overweight or obese within merely 11 weeks. This subsequently increased their risk for diabetes and/or cardiac diseases manifolds.

While commenting on the study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Dr. Christopher Varley and Dr. Jon McClellan of the Seattle Children's Hospital wrote, "These data confirm prior findings that children and adolescents are highly vulnerable to antipsychotic medication. These results challenge the widespread use of atypical antipsychotic medications in youth".

The study, which took into consideration 4 of the most commonly prescribed drugs for children and adolescents - Risperdal by Johnson & Johnson's, Zyprexa by Eli Lilly's, Bristol-Myers Squibb's Abilify and Seroquel by AstraZeneca's. 272 children and teens with various psychotic disorders, aged between 4 and 19, were studied. The findings were thus confirmed - first time users experience rapid and uncontrolled weight gain which exposes them to various health risks.

While not all drugs have the same effect, some of the most common ones do. This has sent a warning alarm among the general public, users of the medicines and their parents. The Food and Drug Administration is yet to react to the findings.