WEIGHT-LOSS JABS FOR KIDS CURE or CONCERN?

Obesity in children is a crisis that needs tackling head-on, but the answer may be too controversial to stomach

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We've all been there - trying hard to lose weight, only for the scales to not budge. It's little surprise then that weight-loss injections have become so popular in recent years. Known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, these reduce food cravings and are available on the NHS for adults with a high body-mass index (BMI), or via private providers. While their use in adults has become normalised, there is growing debate about whether obese children should have more access.

Currently, children over 12 can be prescribed weight-loss injections where there is a proven clinical need, through specialist paediatric clinics. Meanwhile, over in the US, prescriptions for 12- to 15-year-olds have risen sharply, yet the effects of lifelong dependency remain unclear. With childhood obesity on the rise, could these powerful drugs really be the answer to an epidemic we've so far been unable to beat?

'MY DAUGHTER IS ENJOYING HER LIFE AGAIN'

Deana Buckley, 52, from Michigan, USA, says weight-loss injections helped her daughter Demi, 17, regain her confidence and happiness.

When my daughter Demi was 14, she came home from school one afternoon in 2021 looking upset. My heart broke as she explained how a boy had sneered at her and said, 'Go eat a salad.' I hugged her tightly and told her she was beautiful, but sadly, she'd been dealing with cruel comments like this for three years.

As a little girl, Demi's weight was never something we worried about, but when she started puberty and got her first period at 10, her weight shot up, even though she remained active - playing volleyball and basketball, and joining a marching band.