Opinion: I studied GLP-1 use in children. The results are reassuring — SkimNews
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- Babak J. Orandi and his research team published a study showing a 310-fold increase in GLP-1 receptor agonist prescriptions for children ages 8-11 with obesity since 2019, yet only 0.6% of the more than 3.5 million eligible children in that age group received one.
- GLP-1 prescribing is tightly concentrated: 94% of children prescribed the drugs had severe obesity and already manifested complications including sleep apnea, prediabetes, hypertension, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, and hyperlipidemia.
- The American Academy of Pediatrics published obesity management guidelines in 2023 that included GLP-1 recommendations, prompting intense public reaction that Orandi frames as a false binary between systemic food-policy reform and clinical treatment.
- FDA approval does not currently cover any GLP-1 drug for children under 12 with obesity, and Orandi argues approval for younger children could lead to broader insurance coverage and narrow the access disparities his study documented — while warning long-term data on growth and puberty are still lacking.
- 20% of U.S. children have obesity, and Orandi cites data showing childhood fatty liver disease increases mortality risk 40-fold and has become the fastest-growing cause of liver transplants in young adults.
- Three specific policies — taxing sugar-sweetened beverages, ending tax deductions for advertising unhealthy food to children, and improving school nutrition standards — have been projected to save more in health care costs than they cost to implement, per Orandi.
Why it matters: For the more than 3.5 million U.S. children ages 8-11 with obesity, fewer than 1% receive a GLP-1 prescription despite 94% of those prescribed having severe disease — and no GLP-1 is FDA-approved for this age group, creating an access gap broader approval could close.
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