Ozempic use among teens is skyrocketing — and parents are getting a stern warning from experts
It's the hot-shot fix that took Hollywood — and now high school — by storm.
Ozempic and other so-called 'miracle' weight-loss meds are being prescribed to teens in record numbers, with prescriptions among 12- to 17-year-olds jumping 50% in 2024, according to Truveta.
Another study from the Evernorth Research Institute, as reported by Reuters, clocked a whopping 68% rise in use among adolescents overall.
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But while slim-down shots like Wegovy may shrink waistlines, some experts say parents should pump the brakes — before turning their kids into pin cushions.
Dr. Robert Siegel, a pediatrician at Cincinnati Children's Hospital, didn't mince words, telling the news agency, 'These medications are likely to be needed for a very long time to maintain weight.'
He added that 'we only have a relatively short-term experience with them.'
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In other words, we've barely scratched the surface on what these meds might do to growing bodies — and kids could be stuck on them for life.
The spike in teen prescriptions comes after Wegovy was approved for adolescents in late 2022.
Since then, families desperate to beat back the obesity epidemic — which affects 1 in 4 American teens — have turned to GLP-1 meds in growing numbers.
'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,' Dr. Cate Varney, director of obesity medicine at the University of Virginia Health system, told Reuters.
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Experts warn we're rolling the dice — these shots could mess with growing bodies, and kids might be stuck jabbing themselves for life.
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'When lifestyle changes alone are insufficient, we need these additional tools.'
Still, the new tools come with plenty of fine print.
'The medications may need to be used indefinitely,' Siegel said, noting most pediatricians don't have the training — or equipment — to track long-term effects like muscle loss or developmental delays.
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Novo Nordisk, the maker of Ozempic and Wegovy, insists there's no reason to panic.
Slim-down shots might melt fat fast — but docs say teens should ditch the syringes and stick to sweat, not semaglutide, for lasting results.
Corbis via Getty Images
The company said in a statement that semaglutide 'did not appear to affect growth or pubertal development' in teen clinical trials.
'We are confident in the proven safety and efficacy of our GLP-1 medicines,' Novo added.
Eli Lilly, whose drug Zepbound is in trials for teen use, echoed that stance, as per Reuters.
'There has been no evidence to date suggesting impairment in growth or metabolism,' the company said.
But that's not enough to calm critics. U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. slammed the trend as a sign of the 'overmedicalization of our kids,' citing a lack of long-term safety data and possible threats to metabolism and development.
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With weight-loss shots looking more like a long-haul commitment than a quick fix, some doctors say teens should focus on old-school strategies before turning to syringes.
As The Post previously reported, a survey from digital healthcare platform Tebra found that 37% of young Americans in this age group are planning to ditch the gym and head to the pharmacy instead — turning to Ozempic, Wegovy and other GLP-1 drugs to hit their weight-loss goals.
While Gen Z is the most eager to jump on the injection bandwagon, older folks are actually more confident in the drugs' effectiveness — with 72% of baby boomers saying they work better than traditional methods.
Still, the craze has a dark side: Some users have turned to shady, even dangerous methods, including counterfeit meds and unprescribed use, triggering new fears about addiction and a lack of proper oversight.
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