A study published in the journal Pediatrics reported that prescriptions for GLP-1 weight-loss drugs among U.S. children under 12 rose from 0.03% in 2019 to 9.3% as of June 2026, a more than 300-fold increase. ^[1] A major new study released today found that American children under 12 are now taking GLP-1 drugs to fight obesity at 300 times the rate of seven years ago. ^[2] Dr. Babak Orandi, lead investigator and obesity medicine specialist at NYU Langone Health, said that while absolute numbers of children under 12 receiving GLP-1 treatment are still low, GLP-1 use is accelerating rapidly and long-term safety monitoring is needed. ^[3] GLP-1 weight-loss drugs are not approved for use in children under 12, but clinical guidelines allow their use for obesity in children as young as 8 in certain cases. ^[4] The study analyzed data from more than 3.5 million U.S. children aged 8 to 11 with obesity but not diabetes. ^[5] General medical clinical guidelines allow the use of GLP-1 drugs in children as young as 8, even though it is not illegal for doctors to prescribe them to under-12s. ^[6] More than 20,000 children aged 8 to 11 have taken GLP-1 drugs since 2019, according to an analysis of 300 million electronic medical records. ^[7] The U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not currently approve any GLP-1 drugs for children under 12 years old. ^[8]