Weight loss drugs: What do we know about the effects of Ozempic on children?

How common is obesity in under-18s?Government figures show that the proportion of children with obesity in England is 9.6% of children in school reception year (age 5), a slight increase from 2022, and 22.2% of year 6 children (11 year olds), down from 22.7% in 2022.1 Just under a fifth of 11-12 year olds (19%) and 13-15 year olds (18%) have obesity. In all under 19s levels of obesity have decreased slightly since 2020-21 but are still higher than pre-pandemic levels.2 Julian Hamilton-Shield, professor in diabetes and metabolic endocrinology at the University of Bristol, says this general trend is not unexpected, given that the covid pandemic increased obesity levels, as children were kept home from school and generally did not get as much exercise as they would have in before the.Within those national figures, however, the situation is complex, with much higher levels of obesity in more deprived areas. This…