There hasn’t been enough time to evaluate the long-term effects of current popular weight-loss drugs on children and adolescents as the medications haven’t been on the market for long enough yet. — TNS
Weight-loss drugs such as semaglutide are increasingly popular among adults, who have flocked to the new medication as an alternative to the traditional – and often ineffective (in implementation by the patient) – advice to “eat less and exercise more”.
As of this summer (2024), about 12% of American adults reported that they had been on a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) drug for either weight loss or treatment of another condition, according to a poll by US newsroom KFF Health News.
Semaglutide is one type of GLP-1.
Celebrities have taken the drugs.
The term “Ozempic face” has entered the lexicon (Ozempic is one of the brand names for semaglutide).
And the drugs have been in such high demand that counterfeit – and sometimes dangerous – versions have popped up too.
As the drugs have gained name recognition among adults, they’ve also become more and more popular with children and adolescents.
About one in every five children in the United States has obesity, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
And among adolescents, prescriptions of GLP-1s have skyrocketed too.
More than 30,000 American adolescents between 12 and 17 years old used GLP-1s in 2023, according to a University of Michigan study.
Doctors say early obesity intervention can help prevent later health problems, but prescribing drugs to growing children comes with its own complications.
Dr Chris Straughn, a paediatrician at Medical City Children’s Hospital in Dallas, Texas, said research shows GLP-1 drugs can be both effective and safe for kids and teens, but that research only shows the impact over a few years.
“Both in kids and adults, we just don’t know.
“These meds are new enough that we need more time,” he said.
One form of semaglutide is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for weight loss in kids as young as 12.
It hasn’t been approved for kids younger than 12, although there is ongoing research on younger kids.
A recent study on liraglutide, a predecessor to semaglutide, found the drug was effective for kids aged six to 12.
That type of study is encouraging for GLP-1 use in kids.
”Early intervention is a good thing, and that’s what paediatricians hang our hats on,” Dr Straughn said.
“So this absolutely can be a tool.”
But there’s still a lot of unknowns.
University of California, Irvine’s School of Medicine researcher and paediatrics professor Dr Dan Cooper said there are circumstances when a GLP-1 prescription makes sense, such as when a child is developing or has already developed diabetes.
But for other children, the risk calculation is more difficult.
That’s particularly because there isn’t much research on the long-term impacts of GLP-1s, when prescription starts during childhood or adolescence.
Prof Cooper said puberty is an especially important time for cementing long-term health, and there could be long-term repercussions if children’s bodies and brains aren’t given the nutrients to develop properly.
”During that time you get bone mineralisation and you get muscle development, and you probably get changes in your brain and behaviour which are related to energy balance,” he said.
“By the time you’re a young adult or beyond, you can’t do that again.”
It’s not clear whether GLP-1 use in childhood or adolescence could have an impact on long-term development.
And that’s exactly Prof Cooper’s point.
”What’s the long-term effect?
“Nobody knows.
“So this is my concern, that we should be very very careful about using these medications,” he said.
Overall, he noted that parents shouldn’t be afraid to ask their children’s doctors about GLP-1s and they shouldn’t be afraid to have their children use the drugs when it’s appropriate.
For children and adolescents who do begin using GLP-1s, he said parents should keep an eye out to make sure it’s not triggering or worsening depressive symptoms in their child.
He also said that parents should continue to encourage healthy eating habits and an active lifestyle.
Prof Cooper had one other message for parents with children who have obesity or overweight: they and their kids shouldn’t be ashamed.
“Nobody should be ashamed of it.
“Human beings become obese because of our biology,” he said.
“Parents should understand that they shouldn’t blame themselves and they shouldn’t blame their kids for being overweight.” – By Emily Brindley/tca/dpa
