In the U.S., Prescriptions for Obesity Drugs for Children Under 12 Increased 310-Fold in Seven Years

The number of prescriptions for obesity medications among children aged 8 to 11 in the United States increased 310-fold over a seven-and-a-half-year period, although the absolute number of children receiving these medications remains relatively small. Researchers at NYU Langone Health reached this conclusion in a study published in the journal Pediatrics.

According to the study, the proportion of children aged 8 to 11 with obesity but without diabetes who were prescribed GLP-1 drugs increased from 0.03% in 2019 to 9.3% in 2026. During this period, a total of 20,282 children received these medications.

Among adolescents aged 12 to 17, GLP-1 drugs were prescribed somewhat more frequently — 0.9% compared with 0.6% among younger children. Clinical guidelines allow certain medications in this class to be used to treat obesity in children starting at age 8.

Nearly 94% of the children prescribed GLP-1 drugs had severe obesity. Some 65.2% had obesity-related diseases or conditions, including elevated cholesterol, high blood pressure, and sleep apnea. Approximately one-quarter of the children had prediabetes.

Researchers note that GLP-1 drugs can help promote weight loss, improve blood sugar control, and reduce appetite. However, they emphasize the need for long-term monitoring of children taking these medications to assess their safety and effectiveness.

The study also identified disparities in access to treatment. Children with obesity living in higher-income areas were 55% more likely to receive GLP-1 prescriptions than their peers from lower-income areas. According to the researchers, this may indicate a growing gap between children who have access to modern obesity treatments and those who do not.

The authors used data from Epic Cosmos, an electronic health record system containing information on more than 300 million patients in the United States.

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