Overview

• The rate of adolescents starting Wegovy climbed from 9.9 per 100,000 in 2023 to 14.8 in 2024 and further to 17.3 in the first quarter of 2025.
• About 23% of US teens—up from 5% in 1980—now have obesity, increasing demand for new treatment options.
• Wegovy was approved for patients aged 12 and older in late 2022 and endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics in January 2023.
• Medical professionals remain divided over long-term safety and developmental impacts of GLP-1 drugs in adolescents.
• Many families face barriers to access as insurance plans frequently exclude obesity treatments, including GLP-1 medications.