Sharp rise in GLP-1 weight-loss drug prescriptions among children aged 8 to 11 raises safety and equity concerns

Use of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs among children ages 8 to 11 has surged since 2019, prompting warnings over safety and unequal access, despite limited approved indications for this age group.

Use of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs among children aged 8 to 11 has risen sharply since 2019, but the treatment remains uncommon overall, according to a study published in Pediatrics by researchers at NYU Langone Health. The study found that prescriptions for this age group were 310 times higher in June 2026 than they were in 2019, with the share of eligible children receiving these medicines rising from 0.03% to 9.3%.

The findings matter because no GLP-1 drug is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for children under 12, although doctors may prescribe them off-label in severe cases. FDA approval does exist for some weight-management treatment in older children: in 2020, the agency cleared liraglutide, sold as Saxenda, for patients aged 12 and above who have obesity, alongside diet and exercise changes.

Even with the rapid increase, the absolute number of younger children treated was still small. The NYU team said 20,282 children received a prescription over the 7.5-year study period. The researchers also found that children with obesity-related complications, such as pre-diabetes, high cholesterol, fatty liver disease and sleep apnoea, were more likely to be prescribed the drugs, suggesting doctors are focusing on those at highest medical risk.

The study also pointed to inequality in access. Children from higher-income areas were 55% more likely to receive GLP-1 prescriptions than those from less affluent communities. Allan B. Massie, a co-senior author and associate professor at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, said the drugs should be available more broadly to families who can benefit, not only to those with better insurance coverage and easier access to paediatric specialists.

The trend comes amid wider concern about childhood obesity in the United States, which the study and accompanying coverage described as affecting about one in five children. Supporters of GLP-1 treatment argue that the drugs can help reduce long-term risks linked to obesity, including diabetes, high blood pressure and liver disease. But paediatrician Dan Cooper of the University of California, Irvine, warned that children are receiving these medicines during critical periods of growth and development, at a time when long-term safety data remain limited.