The Rise of GLP-1s

Emily* has always been active. Throughout her childhood, the Pennsylvania 18-year-old had participated in sports including ice hockey, skiing, swimming, and cheerleading. Yet, she says, she always struggled to maintain a healthy weight. Her packed after-school schedule meant that fast food was often the easiest option.

After years of treatment—including diet and exercise—at a weight clinic, Emily started taking a GLP-1 medication when she was 13. GLP-1 is an abbreviation for “glucagon-like peptide,” a hormone produced by the small intestine that regulates blood sugar levels, appetite, and digestion. GLP-1 medications mimic this hormone by binding to GLP-1 receptors in the brain, pancreas, and gut, lowering blood sugar, slowing digestion, and increasing feelings of fullness (see “How GLP-1s Work,” below). This group of weight-loss drugs includes brand names such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound. Most are taken via once-weekly injections, though some drugmakers now offer daily pills. Since Emily started taking a GLP-1 about five years ago, she’s lost about 80 pounds.

“I have a body that is more equipped to my lifestyle and my personal needs,” she says, noting that she’s less out of breath when she swims and skis.

^{*Emily is not her real name. Her name has been changed to protect her privacy.}   

Emily,* an 18-year-old from Pennsylvania, has always been active. She grew up participating in sports including ice hockey, skiing, swimming, and cheerleading. But she has struggled to maintain a healthy weight. Her busy after-school schedule meant that fast food was often the easiest option.

After years of treatment—including diet and exercise—at a weight clinic, Emily started taking a GLP-1 medication when she was 13. GLP-1 is an abbreviation for “glucagon-like peptide,” a hormone produced by the small intestine. It regulates blood sugar levels, appetite, and digestion. GLP-1 medications mimic this hormone. It binds to GLP-1 receptors in the brain, pancreas, and gut. This lowers blood sugar, slows digestion, and increases feelings of fullness (see “How GLP-1s Work,” below). Brand names such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound are part of this class of weight loss drugs. Most are taken as once-weekly injections, though some drugmakers now offer daily pills. Since Emily started taking a GLP-1 about five years ago, she’s lost about 80 pounds.

“I have a body that is more equipped to my lifestyle and my personal needs,” she says, noting that she’s less out of breath when she swims and skis.

^{*Emily is not her real name. Her name has been changed to protect her privacy.}   

The number of teens taking GLP-1s has risen rapidly in recent years. From 2020 to 2023, the number of adolescents and young adults prescribed GLP-1s increased by 594 percent, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association.

GLP-1s have been “a game-changer for patients who have done the lifestyle route” of diet and exercise, says Dr. Thao-Ly Phan, the medical director of the Healthy Weight and Wellness Clinic at Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware. “They should be considered a tool in the toolbox, especially for kids with serious health risks and more severe obesity.”

The number of teens taking GLP-1s has risen rapidly in recent years. The number of adolescents and young adults prescribed GLP-1s has increased by 594 percent during 2020-2023, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association.

GLP-1s have been “a game-changer for patients who have done the lifestyle route” of diet and exercise, says Dr. Thao-Ly Phan, the medical director of the Healthy Weight and Wellness Clinic at Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware. “They should be considered a tool in the toolbox, especially for kids with serious health risks and more severe obesity.”

While many medical experts view the drugs as an effective treatment for obesity, others say they want to learn more about how the drugs could affect teens’ still-developing brains and bodies, or how their popularity could negatively affect teens’ self-image.

GLP-1s started to take off in the early 2020s, when the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved several GLP-1s, previously used to treat diabetes, as weight-loss drugs. The FDA’s action came at a time when the obesity rate among teens had hit a record high. Nearly 23 percent of young people ages 12 to 19 are considered obese, according to the latest data, measured between 2021 and 2023, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Teen obesity increases the risk of lifelong conditions such as type 2 diabetes, liver disease, and heart disease.

Many medical experts view the drugs as an effective treatment for obesity. However, others say they want to learn more about how the drugs could affect teens’ still-developing brains and bodies. They also want to study how their popularity could negatively affect teens’ self-image.

GLP-1s started to take off in the early 2020s. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved several GLP-1s, previously used to treat diabetes, as weight-loss drugs. The FDA’s action came at a time when the obesity rate among teens had hit a record high. Nearly 23 percent of young people ages 12 to 19 are considered obese, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Teen obesity increases the risk of lifelong conditions such as type 2 diabetes, liver disease, and heart disease.

But GLP-1s aren’t a permanent cure for weight problems, experts say. When patients stop taking the drugs, they usually regain at least some of the weight they had lost, studies show. Some patients will need to take them long-term, as people do with medications for other chronic conditions, such as asthma and heart disease. But little is known about the effects of long-term GLP-1 usage for patients who start taking the drugs at a young age.

“There are not enough studies about the consequences,” says Dr. Dan M. Cooper, a professor of pediatrics at the University of California, Irvine. Among his concerns is the reduction of teens’ caloric intake during puberty, when they need extra energy for brain, bone, and muscle development. Some experts also worry that the popularity of the medications could change teens’ perceptions of their bodies in an unhealthy way. Around 11 percent of American adults now use GLP-1s for weight loss, according to Gallup polling, up from 3 percent in 2024. Advertising for them floods streaming services and social media, featuring famous spokespeople such as tennis champion Serena Williams and former NBA All-Star Charles Barkley. On TikTok, where  #Ozempic has received more than a billion views, influencers share their experiences using GLP-1s. Numerous celebrities, including Oprah, Kelly Clarkson, and Tracy Morgan have discussed their experiences taking the medications. Others have appeared on red carpets looking suddenly, drastically thinner, without explanation.

The prevalence of weight-loss drugs in our culture “is normalizing the idea that you can make your body whatever you want . . . and [that] being skinny is really important,” says Charlotte Markey, a psychologist at Rutgers University who studies body image. “We have to be really careful about how some of these weight-loss behaviors can lead to eating disordered behaviors.”

While the drugs might seem like an easy solution for weight loss, patients and doctors say GLP-1s aren’t a quick fix or a substitute for healthy habits.

“You still have to put in the work,” says Zeke Sanchez, 19, of Arizona, who has lost about 300 pounds since starting a GLP-1 two years ago. “The medication has helped me learn how to live this healthier lifestyle,” he says, which includes getting more exercise and replacing processed foods with natural, whole foods.

Like Emily, the Pennsylvania teen, he says the medication has yielded positive results he otherwise struggled to achieve.

“I have a lot more mobility, I’m more flexible . . . I feel so confident,” he says. “It’s something that’s absolutely changed my life.”

But GLP-1s aren’t a permanent cure for weight problems, experts say. Studies show that when patients stop taking the drugs, they usually regain at least some of the weight they lost. Some patients will need to take them long-term. But little is known about the effects of long-term GLP-1 usage for patients who start taking the drugs at a young age.

“There are not enough studies about the consequences,” says Dr. Dan M. Cooper, a professor of pediatrics at the University of California, Irvine. Among his concerns is the reduction of teens’ caloric intake during puberty. Teens need extra energy for brain, bone, and muscle development. Some experts also worry that the popularity of the medications could change teens’ perceptions of their bodies in an unhealthy way.

Around 11 percent of American adults now use GLP-1s for weight loss, according to Gallup polling. This is up from 3 percent in 2024. Ads for the drugs flood streaming services and social media. They feature famous spokespeople such as tennis champion Serena Williams and former NBA All-Star Charles Barkley. On TikTok, #Ozempic has received more than a billion views. Influencers share their experiences using GLP-1s. Numerous celebrities, including Oprah, Kelly Clarkson, and Tracy Morgan have discussed their experiences taking the medications. Others have appeared on red carpets looking suddenly, drastically thinner, without explanation.

The prevalence of weight-loss drugs in our culture “is normalizing the idea that you can make your body whatever you want . . . and that being skinny is really important,” says Charlotte Markey, a psychologist at Rutgers University who studies body image. “We have to be really careful about how some of these weight-loss behaviors can lead to eating disordered behaviors.”

While the drugs might seem like an easy solution for weight loss, patients and doctors say GLP-1s aren’t a quick fix or a substitute for healthy habits.

“You still have to put in the work,” says Zeke Sanchez, 19, of Arizona, who has lost about 300 pounds since starting a GLP-1 two years ago. “The medication has helped me learn how to live this healthier lifestyle,” he says. This includes getting more exercise and replacing processed foods with natural, whole foods.

Like Emily, the Pennsylvania teen, he says the medication has yielded positive results he otherwise struggled to achieve.

“I have a lot more mobility, I’m more flexible . . . I feel so confident,” he says. “It’s something that’s absolutely changed my life.”