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Should weight-loss drugs be given to children?

Should weight-loss drugs be given to children?

A battle over how to treat childhood obesity is brewing between two groups who each believe their approach has young people’s best interests at heart.

Last spring, Chloe, a 15-year-old who lives in the US state of Georgia, was stuck. She had tried dieting with a nutritionist and exercising with a personal trainer, but her weight was not budging. She felt self-conscious and depressed, and struggled to carry her heavy school bag. When her mother suggested she try a weight-loss drug, Chloe saw it as a “miracle”, she recalls. “I was like, ‘Oh my goodness, thank God there’s a solution.’”

The teenager suffers from polycystic ovary syndrome, which predisposes women to obesity. Doctors had offered the contraceptive pill to try to ease some symptoms, but nothing to address the obesity, and her mother was worried about the long-term effects on her health.

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Original URL: https://www.afr.com/life-and-luxury/health-and-wellness/should-weight-loss-drugs-be-given-to-children-20250224-p5leo4