More and more young children now taking GLP-1 drugs for weight loss
More and more young children are starting to be prescribed GLP-1 drugs to manage their weight, according to new research published in Pediatrics.[1]
The study’s authors focused exclusively on obese children without diabetes between the ages of 8 and 11. In 2019, just 0.03% of those children were on GLP-1 medications. However, that number skyrocketed to 9.3% in 2026. The group estimated that approximately 20,000 children between the ages of 8 and 11 have been prescribed GLP-1 drugs during that time.
“Our study offers the first national overview in young children of the use of GLP-1 drugs to fight the obesity epidemic in the United States and shows that while the absolute numbers of children under the age of 12 receiving GLP-1 treatment is still low, GLP-1 use is accelerating rapidly,” first author Babak J. Orandi, MD, PhD, MSc, a transplant surgeon and obesity specialist with NYU Langone Health’s NYU Grossman School of Medicine, said in a statement. “The careful use of GLP-1s remains a valuable tool in confronting the obesity epidemic among young Americans.”
Orandi emphasized that some parents may be unsure about the idea of giving their children these medications. However, he said, the alternative may be a lifetime of high blood pressure and other potentially harmful health conditions.
The study’s authors focused on three GLP-1 drugs for this analysis: liraglutide, semaglutide and tirzepatide. Liraglutide is sold by Novo Nordisk under the brand name Saxenda. Semaglutide is sold by Novo Nordisk under the brand names Wegovy and Ozempic. Tirzepatide, meanwhile, is sold by Eli Lilly and Company as Zepbound and Mounjaro.
Another key takeaway from the group’s research was the fact that children with obesity in higher-income communities were 55% more likely to be prescribed one of these medications than children with obesity living elsewhere. This difference in care for patients in low- and high-income communities mirrors trends regularly seen in medications for adults; the study’s authors emphasized that access to these drugs should be consistent throughout the United States.
“Physicians and health policymakers alike have a responsibility to ensure, as use of GLP-1 medications continues to rise, that all young children with obesity who need these drugs have access to them and that 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,” co-author Allan B. Massie, PhD, a professor with NYU Grossman School of Medicine, said in the same statement.
One of modern medicine’s biggest trends
GLP-1 drugs such as semaglutide and tirzepatide were originally developed to treat diabetes. In recent years, however, they are now being used more and more for weight loss, even in patients without diabetes. These drugs have been linked to significant reductions in certain cardiovascular outcomes, including heart attack and stroke, and they are becoming so popular that the brand names are practically household names.
Michael has more than 19 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.