However, this rate remains well below the number of teens affected by obesity: approximately 23,000 out of 100,000 in the US. Despite Wegovy's approval for teens since the end of 2022, its adoption remains limited, mainly due to insurance barriers and concerns about long-term effects.

At the Nemours Children's Hospital clinic (Delaware), 25% of patients monitored were prescribed Wegovy or another GLP-1. The average weight loss observed was 6.8 kg in 6 to 12 months, and up to 13.6 kg after one year. However, for many, the cost or family reluctance limits access to treatment.

Eli Lilly is conducting advanced trials of its drug Zepbound in teens and says it has no evidence of metabolic or growth disturbances associated with GLP-1.

Difficult to establish

Several experts, such as Dr. Cate Varney and Dr. Robert Siegel, highlight the benefits of Wegovy for certain profiles, although stress the importance of rigorous medical supervision and lifestyle changes. The lack of long-term data on the effects of these treatments during growth remains a barrier, as does the lack of support from insurance companies, which rarely cover care related to childhood obesity.

Finally, US Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has criticized the widespread use of these treatments in young people, pointing to "overmedication" and the lack of long-term safety data. Novo Nordisk, for its part, claims to have observed no effects on growth or puberty in its clinical trials.