Use of GLP-1 Receptor Agonists Increasing Among Children With Obesity

THURSDAY, Sept. 10, 2026 (HealthDay News) — From 2019 to 2026, there was an increase in glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA) prescribing for children aged 8 to 11 years without diabetes but with obesity, according to a study published online Sept. 4 in Pediatrics.

Babak J. Orandi, M.D., Ph.D., from New York University in New York City, and colleagues conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study of repeated annual cohorts from Epic Cosmos to examine GLP-1 RA prescriptions for children aged 8 to 11 years without diabetes and with obesity from Jan. 1, 2019, to June 17, 2026.

Overall, 0.6 percent of the 3,520,531 children without diabetes and with obesity received a GLP-1 RA prescription. The researchers found that the likelihood of being prescribed GLP-1 RAs was higher for older children (79.5 versus 41.5/10,000 for those aged 11 versus 8 years), girls (75.9 versus 42.8/10,000 for girls versus boys), and children with less social vulnerability (76.1 versus 49.2/10,000 for low versus high). The likelihood of being prescribed GLP-1 RAs was substantially higher for children with obesity-related comorbidities (188.9/10,000). From 2019 to 2026, there was a 310-fold increase in prevalent prescribing, from 0.03 to 9.3 percent.

“While the absolute numbers of children under the age of 12 receiving GLP-1 treatment is still low, GLP-1 use is accelerating rapidly,” Orandi said in a statement. “The careful use of GLP-1s remains a valuable tool in confronting the obesity epidemic among young Americans.”

Two authors disclosed ties to the biopharmaceutical industry.

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