Should We Give Weight Loss Drugs to Children?
In my private practice, I am seeing more young children who were given weight-management drugs like Wegovy, who are now suffering from severe side effects and thankfully have been taken off the drug.
We live in a world where kids are caught in a web of toxic food systems and sedentary routines— or relentless body shaming. Exhibit A: Fitness influencer Tim Elliott parading his 9- and 12-year-old daughters on stage to promote their six-pack abs. Between toxic messages like Elliot’s or the video games and phone apps advertising that is targeted at children, as a culture we either ignore the impact these toxic systems have on children, or obsess over it in ways that harm kids more than help them.
It’s no wonder many parents and pediatricians are desperately seeking pharmaceutical shortcuts. GLP-1 agonists like semaglutide—branded as Ozempic and Wegovy—are now FDA-approved for children as young as 12. They promise dramatic weight loss by mimicking a hormone that suppresses appetite and slows digestion. To some desperate parents, it may sound like a miracle. I am working with some parents right now whose kids are on GLP-1 agonists. They are fearful of the side effects yet struggling with their kids disordered eating. I even worked with a parent who felt pressured to give her kid a GLP-1 agonist.
So, should we be giving these drugs to children?
First I want to point out that when GLP-1 agonists are used for their intended purpose, they can be incredibly helpful. They have helped people with diabetes, PCOS, and inflammation. But we must tread carefully. The science is still young. When it comes to children, we don’t yet fully understand how these drugs medically affect their brain, metabolism, growth, or bones over time. But we do understand the emotional consequences of medicalizing weight so early in life—from eating disorders to a ruptured and negative relationship with food and weight. The side effects and eating disorders I see in my office should give all of us pause.
In a study published in April of this year, a team of researchers warn us against a narrow focus on weight as an endpoint. They argue that while GLP‑1 agonists can reduce body mass in situations when that’s medically necessary, the true measure of success should be improvements in metabolic health, physical function, psychological well‑being, and long‑term health outcomes.
According to these researchers, we also need to look hard at potential side effects like gastrointestinal discomfort, effects on skeletal development, pubertal timing, and growth, especially among younger users whose bodies are still developing. Moreover, these medications are costly, often require medical infrastructure for monitoring—and thus may be out of reach or mismanaged for historically marginalized populations.
Their paper advocates for a holistic, evidence‑based approach to obesity in youth that integrates lifestyle support, mental health services, and social interventions, alongside medication when appropriate—and usually as a last resort. It emphasizes the need for well‑designed clinical trials in pediatric populations to evaluate long‑term efficacy and safety. Moreover, it urges health systems and regulators to ensure equitable access and to frame interventions around overall health, not just weight reduction.
In a recent podcast hosted by the brilliant Virgie Tovar- GLP-1 Truth Serum, she interviews the brilliant Dr. Lauren Hartman (yes, two brilliant folks in this field) about the concern of giving weight loss to children. Dr. Hartman relayed her experiences of working with children and their families after these children have been given weight loss drugs. She described children feeling worse about their body image. And the children have had medical complications such as malnutrition. Dr. Hartman also described seeing increased mental conditions and eating disorders with children given weight loss drugs.
As a psychologist, I worry most about the message we send our kids. Putting aside the safety of weight loss drugs (which I am not comfortable doing), when we offer weight-loss drugs without also addressing advertising, the relationship with food we wish to cultivate, histories of trauma, or the toxic pressures of diet culture, we risk telling children that the problem lies in their bodies—not in the world around them. Weight-loss drugs should never be the first or only solution. They must first be considered and just one part of a broader, compassionate and informed approach that includes mental health support, healthier school lunches, physical activity, community connection and—above all—listening to children’s experiences. There are probably safer ways to address children’s mental health and body image concerns.
We want our kids to be healthy and at home in their bodies. We want an unwavering commitment to their whole well-being—not just their weight.
References
Lauren B Hartman, Abigail A Donaldson, Laura M K Prakash, Maya M Kumar; (2025) “Weight-loss medications: promoting health and not harm”; Child and Adolescent Health; Volume 9; Issue 2
GLP-1 Truth Serum with Virgie Tovar - https://open.spotify.com/episode/3zJLRwdRg3smp0DfOyDzUg