LOS ANGELES, California: As obesity rates among American teenagers climb to historic levels, more families and doctors are cautiously turning to medical interventions. New data shows a sharp rise in the number of U.S. adolescents starting treatment with Wegovy, a powerful weight-loss drug approved for use in children aged 12 and older.

In 2023, the average prescription rate for Wegovy among teens jumped 50 percent, according to health data firm Truveta, which analyzed records from over 900 hospitals and 20,000 clinics nationwide. That rate rose again in early 2024, reaching 17.3 prescriptions per 100,000 adolescents.

While the trend signals growing acceptance of pharmaceutical help for obesity, experts say access remains limited — and many doctors remain cautious. Only a small fraction of the estimated 8 million teens living with obesity in the U.S. are receiving Wegovy. Insurance hurdles, concerns about long-term safety, and inconsistent adoption of guidelines continue to be barriers.

"It's promising that more young people are using these medications, but it's still a very small percentage of patients with severe obesity that are getting access to them," said Dr. Cate Varney, director of obesity medicine at the University of Virginia Health System. "When lifestyle changes alone are insufficient, we need these additional tools."

The American Academy of Pediatrics endorsed the use of such drugs in early 2023, encouraging doctors to consider them for teens struggling with obesity. At Nemours Children's Hospital in Delaware, one in four patients at the Healthy Weight and Wellness Clinic was prescribed Wegovy or a similar drug last year.

"On average, their patients taking a GLP-1 drug lost 15 pounds (6.8 kg) within 6 to 12 months, and nearly 30 pounds after more than a year," said Dr. Thao-Ly Phan, the clinic's medical director.

Still, many teens and families remain hesitant. Some are concerned about potential long-term effects, while others are unable to access the drug due to cost or lack of insurance coverage. Others opt instead for lifestyle changes or older, cheaper weight-loss medications.

"It is important for us to continue to monitor and better understand outcomes from the medications – both positive and negative – before widespread use," Phan added.

Some officials have voiced concern over the growing use of weight-loss drugs in adolescents. U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. criticized the practice in a recent federal report, citing the "overmedicalization of our kids" and a lack of long-term safety data for GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy and Ozempic.

Novo Nordisk, the maker of Wegovy, said in a statement that clinical trials did not show effects on growth or pubertal development. "We are confident in the proven safety and efficacy of our GLP-1 medicines," the company said.

Eli Lilly's Zepbound, another GLP-1 drug, is currently in late-stage trials for adolescent use. The company has also reported no evidence of harm to growth or metabolism so far.

Some pediatricians, like Dr. Robert Siegel of Cincinnati Children's Hospital, advocate for a slower approach. "These medications are likely to be needed for a very long time to maintain weight," he said, noting that most providers lack the training and resources to monitor their side effects, like muscle loss, over time.

With nearly one in four American teens now classified as obese, the demand for effective treatment is growing. Whether Wegovy and similar medications can meet that demand — and do so safely — remains a critical question.

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