Meet the parents who’ve put their kids on fat jabs – but experts are divided & some say it REWIRES their brains

PARENTS of overweight kids have welcomed the news that a major study has found that fat jabs are safe for children. But experts warn that the drugs — based on the hormone GLP-1 — are not a magic bullet and can have side-effects, some of which could last a lifetime. Mum Ashley Hamilton allowed her daughter Sophia to go on fat jabs after she was targeted by bullies Credit: Ashley Hamilton Ashley Hamilton and daughter Sophia are much happier now Credit: Deborah Hardee The research, presented at the International Congress on Obesity, in Mexico City, analysed data from nearly 800 children aged over 12 using the jabs. It found they shed an average of five kilos — or 11 lb — and suffered limited side-effects. British kids are, on average, now fatter than ever. With one in three youngsters starting secondary school overweight and obesity affecting one in four, parents are left with a dilemma — fear over their child facing a lifetime of complications from excess weight, or possible side-effects from the jabs such as osteoporosis and stunted growth. The study cited in Mexico has said the jabs are safe, but experts in the UK remain divided. Professor Alex Miras, an endocrinologist [a specialist doctor who treats hormone imbalances] at Ulster University, says: “I would have no hesitation in prescribing this ­medication to young adults.” But cardiometabolic health expert Professor David Strain, of Exeter University, warns: “There is potentially a long-term developmental risk for children taking the drugs. “It can cause osteoporosis in adults. During adolescence, bone health is vital, and we do not know what impact these drugs will have. “They could very likely have an impact on normal growth.” Facing this predicament, 39-year-old Joe, from Nuneaton, Warks, this month agreed to his son Drew, 13, starting GLP-1 injections in August. Stationery supplier Joe says: “I know there’s concern about side-effects, but when your child is ­desperately unhappy, as Drew was when he started wearing XL men’s clothes last year, you just want to help in any way you can. “His appetite has always been huge, but now he can’t play football with pals as he’s too big. He’s tried to lose weight healthily by ­cutting down and it doesn’t happen. “He’s tall, so I’m not concerned about the side-effects of stunted growth, and I try not to think about problems like osteoporosis, as I am so fearful he is headed for depression.” A new study has found fat jabs are safe for kids Credit: Getty Children as young as 12 can be treated with the jabs Credit: Getty Joe adds: “The NHS is not ­routinely recommending or funding fat jabs for weight loss in under-18s, which should terrify me but doesn’t, as I am so worried about his mental health. “We’ve tried to talk to him about resetting his relationship with food, but his mates eat lots of junk — and so does he. “I’m sure if he can get down to a healthy weight he can stay there. I got the injections prescribed privately through an online consultation and, rather than feel worried about ­possible side-effects, I feel hopeful that this is going to change his life.” Many parents have also sidelined their concerns about jab side-effects, as NHS weight loss clinics have treated more than 6,400 obese children since opening in 2021 and given around 400 schoolchildren fat jabs, which are an option above the age of 11. Private clinics are also offering jabs to children, with desperate ­parents paying from £180 a month. One mum who put aside her health worries about jabs is Ashley Hamilton, who allowed her daughter Sophia, then 11, to start injecting the medication. Ashley made the heart-rending decision after her daughter ­suddenly began to gain weight, and Sophia took her first jab of Wegovy in May 2023, losing 4lb in just a week. Ashley remembers: “She told me that for the first time in her life she wasn’t always thinking about her next meal.” But the night after her sixth and final dose Sophia, whose weight had dropped from 11st 7lb to 10st 3lb, woke up in agony. Ashley recalls: “She came to my bedroom in the middle of the night, telling me she’d thrown up and felt that she was going to die. I was terrified. “As I rushed her to hospital, every nightmare scenario flashed through my mind. “Hearing the doctors say it was constipation — a common side-effect — and not a problem with Sophia’s gallbladder or pancreas as a result of the Wegovy was a huge relief. And within a few days she made a full recovery.” Ashley says she will always remember the day in September 2022 when her daughter came home, distraught about school ­bullying, which was the catalyst for her to start the jabs. Quiet and withdrawn, the 11-year-old said: “Mum, kids are making fun of me.” Liat Hughes Joshi, parenting coach, trusts parents to make choice about the jabs Credit: supplied Britain’s schoolchildren are fatter than ever Credit: Getty Her classmates had been taunting her, calling her “fatty”, and when Ashley found out, she felt sick. Ashley herself had shed 6st in 11 months thanks to weight-loss jabs. She recalls: “The horrible taunts from my own schooldays came ­flooding back. History was repeating itself and I felt powerless.” But this gut-wrenching decision is not something all parents are on board with. Paulomi Debnath, 46, who runs ­textile jewellery brand Handmade By Tinni, is against the jabs being used on children. The mum of one, from Romford, East London, says: “My son is 15 and I would be 100 per cent against him ever using jabs in his teen years. We are not a ‘slim’ family, but jabs are not an option as I worry about osteoporosis, and what if it caused pancreatic damage? “Medics say it’s safe for teens now, but there could be huge medical problems that come to light in later years.” Although Wegovy and Saxenda are licensed for those aged 12 to 17 who meet the current guidance of being obese, over the age of 12 and having at least one health issue, such as high blood pressure, some medics agree with Paulomi that weight-loss jabs are dangerous. The children observed in the ­study presented in Mexico, which claimed jabs “are safe for teens” experienced a higher rate of vomiting and diarrhoea than those youngsters not on the drug. But while there is some risk of side-effects, the chances of serious problems developing — such as ­pancreatitis, gallstones or appendicitis — were reportedly low. Are you eligible for fat jabs on the NHS? TO be eligible for NHS weight loss injections, you typically need a high BMI (Body Mass Index) and a number of weight-related health conditions. A BMI of 40 or more is usually required, or a BMI of 37.5 or more for certain ethnic groups. For individuals from South Asian, Chinese, other Asian, Middle Eastern, Black African, or African-Caribbean ethnic backgrounds, a lower BMI of 37.5 or higher may be considered due to increased health risks at lower BMI levels within these groups. Additionally, you must have at least three or four of the following conditions: Type 2 diabetes High blood pressure Heart disease Obstructive sleep apnoea Abnormal blood fats These injections are generally provided with a structured weight management programme that includes lifestyle support. If you’re looking to access weight loss injections on the NHS, discuss your options with your GP. Yet some experts believe the jabs pose additional psychological risks for youngsters. Professor Strain adds: “Research has shown that they rewire the brain’s response to reward and risk, and much of that system is developed during late adolescence. “So, by hampering that, they may have long-term mental health impacts and behavioural changes.” With the Government admitting the country has a childhood obesity ­epidemic, experts including Professor Miras suggest health chiefs may be missing a trick. He says: “The evidence that these drugs are effective and safe for this age group now doesn’t match the prescribing reality in this country. “So I would support a much wider use of these drugs for those obese in adolescence.” While leading doctors remain on the fence, parenting experts believe ­common sense should prevail in a case-by-case process with regard to youngsters using prescription drugs. Liat Hughes Joshi, parenting coach and author of Help Your Child Cope With Change, says: “Obesity can lead to serious health issues for children but there is also the emotional and psychological side too — which is just as worrying. Being obese has a potential impact on self-esteem, with their size making them a target of ­bullies, and their weight can stop them getting stuck into everyday activities with mates. “At the end of the day good ­parents usually know what is best for ­children they love.” Some names have been changed.