More children under 12 in U.S. are being prescribed weight-loss drugs, study finds

Overall, 20,282 children received GLP-1 drugs during the study period - most often, Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy. Doctors also prescribed ‌Novo’s Saxenda and Eli Lilly’s Zepbound |Image used for representational purpose only | Photo Credit: REUTERS Prescriptions for GLP-1 weight-loss drugs among children under 12 in the U.S. have risen more ​than 300-fold since 2019 as doctors seek new, effective treatments for ‌younger patients with obesity, according to a study published ​on Friday.The study, which included more than ⁠3.5 million children aged between eight and 11 years with obesity but not diabetes, found that prescriptions for GLP-1 weight-loss drugs rose ‌from 0.03% in 2019 to 9.3% as of June.Although the drugs are not approved for ‌use in children under 12 years, clinical guidelines ‌allow ⁠the medications to be used for obesity in ⁠children as young as eight years old in certain cases.94% of the children prescribed GLP-1s had severe obesity, and about 65% had at ​least one related condition, ‌such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and sleep apnea.Overall, 20,282 children received GLP-1 drugs during the study period - most often, Novo Nordisk's Wegovy. Doctors also prescribed ‌Novo's Saxenda and Eli Lilly's Zepbound.While the absolute numbers ​of children under 12 receiving GLP-1 treatment is still low, the study shows that GLP-1 ⁠use is accelerating rapidly, said lead investigator and obesity medicine specialist Dr. Babak Orandi of NYU Langone Health.Orandi added ‌that long-term safety monitoring is needed to ensure the drugs remain safe and effective.Children living in higher-income communities were 55% more likely to be prescribed the medicines, suggesting emerging disparities in access, according to the study published in the journal Pediatrics."Physicians and health policymakers alike have ‌a responsibility to ensure ... these valuable and sometimes costly treatments become available ​to more than those who have access to health insurance and can afford to visit ⁠pediatric clinics," said Allan Massie, co-author of the study and ⁠associate professor of surgery at NYU Grossman School of Medicine.Researchers used Epic Cosmos, a national electronic ‌health records database encompassing more than 300 million U.S. patients. Epic had no role in the study. Published - September 06, 2026 08:03 pm IST