Should Young Kids Take the New Anti-Obesity Drugs? What the Research Says

September 17, 2024

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(Nature) – Evidence shows that blockbuster weight-loss medications can reduce obesity even in children aged 6–11, but their long-term effects on growing bodies are unknown.

Millions of adults around the world take potent drugs such as Wegovy to shed pounds. Should kids do the same? That question is growing more urgent in the face of mounting evidence that children and adolescents, as well as adults, slim down if they take the latest generation of obesity drugs. Clinical trials have shown that many adolescents with obesity lose substantial amounts of weight on these drugs, which work by mimicking a natural hormone called glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1). (Read More)