Wegovy Use Among US Teens Surges 50 Percent Amid Rising Obesity Rates

The use of Wegovy, a weight-loss drug by Novo Nordisk, increased by 50% among U.S. adolescents last year, according to Truveta's analysis of 1.3 million patient records. The prescription rate rose from 9.9 per 100,000 teens in 2023 to 14.8 per 100,000 teens, with a further rise to 17.3 per 100,000 in early 2025.

Despite this growth, the uptake remains low compared to the 23% of U.S. teens aged 12-19 currently living with obesity, equating to around 8 million adolescents. Obesity among teens has surged from 5% in 1980 to current alarming levels, significantly increasing the risk of chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular complications.

Wegovy, approved for teens in late 2022, has shown significant results, with patients losing an average of 15 pounds in 6-12 months and 30 pounds after a year. However, barriers such as insurance coverage issues, concerns about long-term safety, and limited medical acceptance of GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy have restricted broader adoption.

Dr. Thao-Ly Phan of Nemours Children’s Hospital noted that only 25% of their adolescent patients received GLP-1 therapy last year, though results were promising. Critics, including U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., have raised concerns about “overmedicalization” and the lack of long-term safety data for these drugs in children.

Novo Nordisk emphasized that trials showed no adverse effects on growth or puberty, while Eli Lilly’s Zepbound is undergoing late-stage trials for adolescent obesity. Wegovy remains a vital option for teens struggling with severe obesity when lifestyle changes prove insufficient.