GLP-1 use among young children with obesity in US remains rare but is rising rapidly
A study from NYU Langone Health indicates that while GLP-1 weight-loss drug prescriptions for children under 12 remain rare, they have increased 310-fold since 2019. The data shows that older children and girls are more likely to receive these medications, which are primarily used for severe obesity.
Why it matters
The rapid rise in the use of powerful weight-loss drugs in pediatric populations raises important questions about long-term health outcomes and clinical guidelines.
edited by Gaby Clark , reviewed by Robert Egan
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Add as preferred source Credit: Haberdoedas Photography from Pexels Although the number of U.S. children under age 12 with obesity who are prescribed the weight-loss drugs Saxenda, Wegovy and Zepbound remains low, it was 310 times higher in June 2026 than in 2019, when the drugs were first prescribed, a new study shows.
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