Popular drugs for weight loss are now being prescribed to kids as young as 12.
It’s been nearly two years since the FDA approved their use in kids, but some are questioning if these drugs are safe for teens in the long run. Others argue that the health benefits of GLP-1 drugs outweigh the risks.
Malya Jones tells Channel 11 that life before getting on weight loss drugs was difficult.
“I’ve always like been overweight and I’ve tried workouts and I tried eating healthier and nothing has really worked,” she said. “Since I’ve started the medication, it’s really helped me and it’s boost my energy and my confidence a lot.”
At her heaviest, Malya weighed 30 pounds and was living with high blood pressure.
“Last time I did go to the doctor, since my A1C was normal, I already got off one medication,” she said.
“My heaviest was almost 370 pounds,” Jeremiah Jimenez told us.
He’s lost more than 100 pounds since starting Wegovy last year.
“I have been fortunate enough to see really the true evolution of these medications,” Dr. Daniel HSIA with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta said.
He’s studied GLP-1 drugs for years.
“We don’t know the decades-long impacts that this is going to have,” he said.
Some medical studies show these drugs can lead to under-eating, not getting enough calories for growth or abuse of these drugs by those with eating disorders.
But, families say the decision to put their teens on GLP-1’s didn’t come lightly.
“Seeing her being so depressed about her weight, crying sometimes about her weight,” Marthe Jones said.
In 2022, the FDA opened the door, allowing teens 12 years and older to be prescribed Semaglutide, it’s the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy.
Semaglutide dispense rate increased by 594% since 2020 in teens in young adults.
“It was like a hallelujah moment,” said Dr. Jessica Riley, a pediatric obesity specialist at Children’s. “These medications not only reduce appetite by triggering those appetite satiety centers, right, but also by encouraging the pancreas to produce more insulin.”
Once prescribed, Riley says they don’t just monitor weight loss, but consider blood pressure reduction, mental health, BMI and fat tissue decreases.
“The most common reason to take a patient off a GLP-1 medication has to do with side effects,” she said.
Those side effects include vomiting, diarrhea and constipation.
Doctors say taking these drugs early could lower the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.
Parents say the pros outweigh the cons.
“It’s a game changer. It’s going to save, it’s saving lives,” Suzie Jimenez said.
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