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Use of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists among U.S. children with obesity is increasing rapidly. A national analysis from NYU Langone Health published in Pediatrics found that among children ages 8–11 with obesity and without diabetes, GLP-1 prescribing was 310 times higher in 2026 than it was in 2019 (when the drugs first began reaching the market), with 20,282 children in this age group receiving these medications during the study period. Most treated children had severe obesity (93.7%), and 65.2% had at least 1 obesity-related condition, such as hyperlipidemia, hypertension, or sleep apnea. Approximately 25% had prediabetes. The researchers conclude that GLP-1 use in younger children is accelerating and emphasize the need for long-term monitoring of safety and effectiveness. An estimated 20% of children in the United States have obesity.
Safety issues to watch: One possible concern in GLP-1 use among kids is nutritional deficiency, according to a separate study in Childhood Obesity. Among users aged 10–17 years, 16.88% were diagnosed with at least 1 nutritional deficiency or deficiency-related complication, most frequently vitamin D deficiency (12.4%), followed by nutritional anemia (1.55%), and iron-deficiency anemia (1.44%) within 1 year.