Patients taking blockbuster weight loss medications like Wegovy may be getting younger. Research published in June shows that the share of adolescents who were prescribed weight loss medications tripled nationally between 2020 and 2023, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While this only amounts to a small percentage – 0.5% – of 12 to 17-year-olds with obesity who were prescribed these medications in 2023, two injectable drugs similar to Ozempic have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for weight management among patients 12 and older since 2020.
